The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is located in southeast Oregon near the town of Frenchglen. The town of Frenchglen is about 60 miles north of Burns, Oregon. Burns, Oregon is the nearest town to the wildlife refuge that offers fuel. Limited food and lodging are available in Frenchglen, Oregon at the historic Frenchglen Hotel. Reservations at the hotel are recommended. Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., lunch starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m., dinner is served family style and begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are required for dinner. The Frenchglen Hotel can be contacted at (541) 493-2825. The wildlife refuge extends from Harney and Malheur Lakes in the north to Page Springs Campgrounds in the south. Oregon state route 205 follows generally the west boundary of the wildlife refuge.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters
The administrative headquarters sits in a wooded glen on Sodhouse Lane about 7 miles west of Oregon state route 205. The headquarters includes an informative visitor center that is usually staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. The visitor center is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The visitor center offers numerous free brochures, some that include maps; and volunteers that are happy to share their knowledge of the wildlife refuge. The refuge headquarters also houses the administrative offices, and the centralized maintenance facility. During your visit do not forget to pick up a guide for the Blitzen River Valley auto tour. This self guided auto tour begins near the refuge headquarters at Malheur Lake and proceeds south through the refuge along the dirt Center Patrol Road to the end of the tour at the P Ranch.
Historic P Ranch and the Long Barn
In 1872 Peter French came to the area of the P Ranch seeking grazing land for cattle. Mr. Porter, the owner of the P Homestead sold the location to Peter French for an undisclosed amount of cash and a few head of cattle. Peter French retained the exclusive P cattle brand and based his cattle operations from the P ranch. At the P Ranch two great examples of Peter French’s inventive construction techniques remain, the Long Barn and the Meat Wheel represent ground breaking ideas from that era. Peter French used the Long Barn for as a stable and feeding his cattle. The central truss construction was unique at the time, and was not often used in a structure of such great length. The Meat Wheel was used in the butchering process and was truly cutting edge technology at that time.
Malheur and Harney Lakes
Malheur Lake, to the west Oregon state route 205, and Harney Lake to the east, combine to make a rare inland sink. The Donner und Blitzen River, that flows out from the snow melt and springs of the Steens Mountain Range, terminates at these lakes and does not flow to any ocean. In the spring of 2011 near record snowfall from the previous winter expanded the shores of these lakes well beyond their normal boundaries. Malheur Lake flooded into Harney Lake creating on huge body of water. The two lakes appeared to have become a small inland sea.
Other Interesting Sites in the Area
The Peter French Round Barn, located at 51955 Lava Bed Road in Diamond, Oregon, was built by Peter French to break and tame the wild horses he encountered in the area of the P Ranch. The outer section of the Round Barn is a circular hallway where wild horses could be saddled and ridden in a controlled environment. The Round Barn has a visitor center that is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Diamond Craters, also on Lava Bed Road, resulted from an ancient lava dome and subsequent lava outflow. There are several notable inactive vent cones and lava tubes to explore at the Diamond Craters.
The Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is an exceptional place to view migratory birds in Southeastern Oregon. When traveling around the wildlife refuge expect to encounter rough dirt roads and muddy driving conditions. Be prepared for wide variations in the weather no matter what time of year you visit. The refuge is in a remote section of Oregon with the nearest reliable gas station some 60 miles away in Burns, Oregon. For more information visit the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge website.
Sources
- Malheur National Wilfdlife Refuge, www.fws.gov/malheur/, retrieved 8 July 2011
Carl Hoffman - Carl has a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration and is retired from the Nevada National Guard.
