# Steens Mountain and the Alvord Desert

> 4-day road trip of about 255 km (159 mi) with 7 stops, from Burns to Alvord Desert. About 2 h 50 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/b8-steens-alvord/

**At a glance:** 4-day road trip of about 255 km (159 mi) with 7 stops, from Burns to Alvord Desert. About 2 h 50 min of driving in total. Wildlife marshes, a round barn and a glacier-carved mountain in Oregon’s far southeast, ending on a dry lakebed.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 255 km (159 mi) |
| Driving | 2 h 50 min |
| Suggested days | 4 |
| Stops | 7 |
| Route | Burns → Alvord Desert |
| States | OR |
| Updated | June 4, 2026 |

## Route description

From Burns, OR-205 heads south across the Harney Basin to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, where hundreds of thousands of birds stop in spring. The headquarters has a museum of mounted birds and paths along the ponds.

Take the gravel side road to the Pete French Round Barn, built in the 1880s by a cattle baron who once ruled this valley. Continue to Frenchglen, a hamlet with a historic hotel and a campground at the foot of Steens Mountain.

The Steens Mountain Loop Road climbs to nearly 9,700 feet, past aspen groves and overlooks such as Kiger Gorge, a deep glacial valley. It is gravel, usually open only from July to October, and the upper sections are rough; leave trailers in Frenchglen.

South of Frenchglen, OR-205 continues to Fields, a ranch stop with a store and fuel. From there the East Steens Road leads north to the Alvord Desert, a flat white playa under the mountain’s sheer east face. Services are minimal everywhere, so carry water and a spare tire.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Burns** (OR)
2. **Malheur National Wildlife Refuge** (Burns, OR): Vast marshes in the high desert, a stopover for hundreds of thousands of migrating birds. The headquarters has a small museum and a visitor center; spring is the peak.
3. **Pete French Round Barn** (Diamond, OR): A round stone-and-juniper barn from the 1880s, built to break horses through the winter. It stands alone on a gravel road east of OR-205.
4. **Frenchglen** (OR)
5. **Kiger Gorge Overlook** (Frenchglen, OR): A perfect U-shaped glacial valley cut into Steens Mountain, seen from the Steens Mountain Loop Road. The road is gravel and usually open only from July to October.
6. **Fields** (OR)
7. **Alvord Desert** (Fields, OR): A dry lakebed about 12 miles long below the east face of Steens Mountain, flat and silent. Only drive on the playa when it is completely dry.