Chickahominy at sunset.

Photo by STEPHANIE VOLLE

It’s Spring Break! For those of you with kids in school, that could mean a variety of things. Small vacation? Big staycation? Seasonal deep cleaning with extra help? Hosting visitors in your home? Casual days with no itinerary? Business as usual? Regardless or your plans, if you happen to be around Harney County with family in tow and no school commitments, here are some stress-free and economical adventures on nearby public lands:

Chickahominy Reservoir – Fish on! Now is the time to head west and throw a line in the water –  the spring thaw has our resident Rainbow Trout chomping at the bait. Chickahominy Reservoir is 32 miles from Burns and has a fish cleaning station, drinking water, vault restrooms, plenty of accessible shoreline and a boat ramp. Five, eight-inch minimum length trout per day limit. Picnic tables, shade and overnight camping spots are available, too.

Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility – Located just six miles from town, this facility first opened in 1976 and has since held and prepared over 20,000 animals for the Bureau of Land Management’s Adopt-A-Horse Program. An auto-tour route around the entire facility will get you up close and personal with hundreds of horses just waiting for your ogling eyes. Open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Page Springs Campground – The upper parts of Steens Mountain aren’t yet accessible due to snow, but at its base, Page Springs Campground is open and ready to host you for the day or even overnight. Located three miles from Frenchglen and about one hour from Burns, this campground is the perfect landing spot for outdoor fun. A free-use group picnic area, great spring bird and wildlife watching, and two easy, scenic hikes are at your fingertips. 

Diamond Craters – This “Outstanding Natural Area” of 17,000 acres (23 square miles), has some of the most diverse basaltic volcanic features in the nation clustered within a small, accessible area. Located just 56 miles from Burns, the area is perfect for free-roam hiking and exploring an entire range of eruptions possible in basaltic volcanism. Features identifiable include craters and vents, cinder cones, spatter cones, lava tubes, driblet spires, a graben, and a water-filled maar – all good viewing even if you aren’t passionate about geology or rock cycles.  

The Bureau of Land Management strives to be a good neighbor in Harney County and we are committed to keeping public landscapes healthy and productive. Get out and enjoy a Spring Break daycation on public lands!

For more information, call the BLM at (541) 573-4400.