Birch Creek Historic Ranch

BLM Bureau of Land Management · Vale, OR · Dispersed

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Conditions

Road Access 4WD Required
Season Open Year Round
Campfires Not recorded
Boondock Access Rough High clearance or 4WD may be required

The managing agency hasn't published campfire rules for this campground. The description and directions below often mention it — and it's worth calling the agency before a long drive.

Features

Warning 4WD Required High Clearance
Style Boondocking

Campground Stats

Total Sites0

Location

43.214726, -117.503261 · Vale District Office , Vale , OR 97918

Description

Nestled among cream and chocolate colored hills, barren red cliffs, and towering rock spires lays a secret oasis: the Birch Creek Historic Ranch. Established in the early 1900s, the ingenuity and determination of a Basque sheepherder and a West Virginia cattle rancher are still evident at the site today. Stone walls built in the Basque tradition still ascend the mesa. Remnants of a waterwheel hint at the lush alfalfa fields fed through the gravity irrigation system. Nineteen buildings and structures at the ranch contribute to the property's designation as a historical rural landscape on the Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places.

Know Before You Go

  • Open YEAR ROUND, best access May-October.
  • Accessibility is dependent on road conditions. A high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended.
  • There is a single water source and restroom. Five-unit campground.

Point of Interest

Contact the Bureau of Land Management Vale District office for facilities rental information, current road access conditions, and any seasonal fire closure restrictions.

Directions

The Birch Creek Historic Ranch is located in the southeast corner of Oregon in Malheur County. From Highway 95, 8 miles north of Jordan Valley, turn west at the Jordan Craters sign onto Cow Creek Road. Follow BLM Owyhee River access signs 28 miles to the Ranch.

Activities

Accessible Facility or Activity BIKING BOATING CAMPING CLIMBING DAY USE AREA FISHING HIKING HISTORIC & CULTURAL SITE HORSEBACK RIDING PADDLING PHOTOGRAPHY PICNICKING SWIMMING WILDLIFE VIEWING

Details

FeeContact the field office for more information about fees and permits.
Phone541-473-3144
Email[email protected]

Nearby Campgrounds

Jordan Craters Area of Environmental Concern 5.2 mi · BLM · Boondocking (Rough)
Slocum Creek Campground 11.8 mi · BLM · Boondocking (Rough)
Snively Hot Springs Recreation Site 38.7 mi · BLM
Silver City Campground 41.8 mi · BLM
Hemingway Butte OHV Trailhead 43.9 mi · BLM
Three Forks 49.3 mi · BLM