Oregon is a wholly wondrous place to live, with breathtaking beauty found in every corner of the state. While the Oregon Coast and Columbia River Gorge get much of the state’s spotlight, there is a region in southeast Oregon that is truly, utterly wonderful. Hidden away in the southeastern corner of the state, the Steens Mountain Wilderness Area is 428,000 acres of remote land that’s the wildest and most untamed in all of Oregon. Because it’s here you’ll find a truly rugged wilderness where eagles and red-tailed hawks soar across the sky, and where wild horses roam free.
Tucked into the southeastern corner of the state, Steens Mountain is one of Oregon’s most wondrous hidden gems.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
Lush valleys and canyons, wildflowers and wildlife – the is a place of immense, uncontained natural beauty.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
In addition to the incredible naturescape, a myriad of animals and birds call the Steens Wilderness Area home: elk, coyote, badger, deer, jackrabbits, mountain lions, eagles, and hawks.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
Several different herds of wild horses also make their home in Oregon’s high desert, too.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
These horses are the South Steens mustangs, one of the 17+ different herds that roam free in the southeastern part of the Beaver State. In total, Oregon has more than 6,100 wild horses.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
And on the eponymous Steens Mountain Back Country Byway, you can experience this majestic mountain – and all its wondrous wildlife – up close.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
The byway winds through the secluded mountain and its otherworldly foothills, with the unique Alvord Desert sprawling out to the south.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
And if you keep your eyes peeled, you may catch a glimpse of Oregon’s wildest wonder: its wild horses.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
This land belongs to them, and you’ll want to drive carefully because you may experience an up-close encounter, too!
Andy Idsinga/Google Local
Seeing the wild horses in eastern Oregon is an experience pictures simply can’t capture. Out of nowhere, they appear: a herd of horses galloping across the hillside; nature in its purest form.
Tyler Hulett/Moment Collection via Getty Images
Have you visited the Steens Mountain Wilderness Area before? Did you know there were wild horses in Oregon? This really is an experience for your Oregon bucket list.
Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington/Flickr
Andy Idsinga/Google Local
Tyler Hulett/Moment Collection via Getty Images
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Address: Steens Mountain, Oregon 97721, USA
