The Owyhee Canyonlands are attracting attention again!
OUTSIDE, America’s leading active lifestyle brand, has selected the Oregon Desert Trail as an honoree for its annual Travel Awards (view it here!), which celebrate the top destinations in the U.S. and around the world. Fifty locales were chosen, and the Oregon Desert Trail was honored as Best Desert Trip Runner Up. The entire list of honorees appears in OUTSIDE’s April issue (on newsstands March 18) and online.
The newly formed Oregon Desert Trail stretches for roughly 800 miles across Oregon’s high desert, with 200 miles of that in the Owyhee Canyonlands. It threads north into the West Little Owyhee canyon, by Rome, then largely following the Owyhee River to its eastern terminus at Lake Owyhee State Park.
The route, which is comprised of existing trail, two-track roads and cross-country navigation, winds through some of the most scenic and ecologically significant terrain in Oregon’s high desert. Maps, written guide material and GPS data for the Oregon Desert Trail just became available in February to allow people to craft their own adventures. Find it all at ONDA.org.
“We firmly believe that to know Oregon’s high desert is to love it,” said Oregon Natural Desert Association (ONDA) Executive Director Brent Fenty, who came up with the Oregon Desert Trail concept. “If people experience the high desert, then they will know that places like the Owyhee Canyonlands and Hart Mountain are worth protecting for future generations.”
ONDA’s short film about the Oregon Desert Trail, “Sage Steppes: 800 Miles on the Oregon Desert Trail,” is also soon posted on Outside Online’s website.
“Whether you’re looking to go big for an expedition, splurge on a luxurious paradise, or plan an epic family trip, OUTSIDE has unearthed 50 travel gems that will inspire you to renew that passport,” said OUTSIDE Editor Chris Keyes.
OUTSIDE tapped its global network of correspondents, who traveled across the world to identify the best new adventures, resulting in 50 of the best spots on the globe for adventure. They range from the Dolomites to Tahiti to Australia.
Since 1977, OUTSIDE has covered travel, sports, adventure, health, and fitness, as well as the personalities, the environment, and the style and culture of the world outside. The OUTSIDE family includes OUTSIDE magazine, the only magazine to win three consecutive National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, The Outside Buyer’s Guides, Outside Online, Outside Television, Outside Events, Outside+ tablet edition, Outside Books and now Outside GO, an adventure-travel company.
We’re thrilled that the beauty and uniqueness of the Owyhee Canyonlands is being acknowledged. Once one knows the Owyhee, it’s evident that is also worth protecting.
