If you’re looking for a place where you can really get away from everyone and everything for a little while, the Oregon Desert Trail is it. Of course, it would be unwise to embark on a hike of any length on this 750-mile network of trails if you’re inexperienced with desert hiking, but if you know what you’re doing and are prepared to carry water for long distances, you’ll love the solitude you’ll experience on much of it.

This trail was established in 2011 and so far, only about 40 people have hiked it end to end — a feat that takes four to seven weeks to complete. You can hike portions of it as a day hiker though, and when you do, it’s unlikely that you’ll see many other people in most sections. Read on to learn more about this little-known trail and the path it covers through the deserts of Oregon.

The Oregon Desert Trail begins in Bend and zigzags all across the southeastern part of the state before ending at Lake Owyhee State Park.
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The route passes by sights like Abert Rim, shown here.
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Steens Mountain is the highest point on the route at 9,552 feet.
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There are 16 towns and small cities along the route where hikers can pick up more food. The trail was designed in a way in which hikers will pass through a town every three to six days.
If you hiked this trail across the Oregon High Desert, you'd spend 10 percent of your time hiking on a trail, 35 percent navigating cross-country terrain, 50 percent walking on unpaved or dirt roads, and 5 percent walking on paved roads.
Bureau of Land Management, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The vast majority of this trail is unmarked. You need to be comfortable with hiking to waypoints on a handheld GPS device to hike the Oregon Desert Trail.
Some parts of this journey, like crossing the Alvord Desert, are very dry. Hikers might have to carry water for up to forty miles, although usually, the distance is not as far as that!
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As you might guess, the best times of year to hike this trail are spring or fall. It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter.
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The trail ends at Lake Owyhee State Park. After so many miles of desert, it's surely great to see water again!
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Most of us aren’t anywhere near ready to hike the Oregon Desert Trail from beginning to end. However, you’ll enjoy hiking parts of it as a day hiker or short-term backpacker — just be sure to bring a lot of water! This part of Oregon is so beautiful and so few people visit it. It’s time you explored it yourself!

Looking for more hikes in Oregon? Here’s a list of seven more — and they’re all rated easy!

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