3 Days in the Owyhee
One basecamp, three unforgettable days
The genius of an Owyhee weekend is that you never move camp. Set up once in Jordan Valley — a full-hookup site at Sunny Ridge RV Park or a room at the Basque Station Motel — and every day fans out from the same friendly base: coffee in town every morning, a different corner of the canyonlands every day, and the Milky Way waiting every night.
Day 1 — Arrive, walk the town, sunset on the lava
Afternoon: Roll in on US-95, get settled, and stretch your legs on the two-block heritage walk: the pelota fronton — the only Basque handball court left in Oregon, stone by stone the work of sheepherders a century ago — and St. Bernard's, the 1914 stone church beside it.
Evening: Early dinner at the JV Cafe, then drive 30–45 minutes north to Jordan Craters for the golden hour. Walk the rim of Coffeepot Crater as the light goes long across 27 square miles of young lava. Stay past dark — this sky is the whole reason some people come.
Day 2 — Leslie Gulch & Succor Creek
Morning: Big breakfast in town, sandwiches and a full tank, then head for Leslie Gulch (about an hour). Arrive early and drive slowly — the honeycombed golden towers start well before the road ends, and morning is prime time to glass for the largest California bighorn herd in the country.
Midday: Hike Juniper Gulch into the stone amphitheaters, then eat lunch at Slocum Creek on the shore of Owyhee Reservoir. Summer bonus: swim.
Afternoon: Loop home through Succor Creek's canyon (dry weather) or back the way you came. Coffee stop, shower, pie. You've earned all three.
Day 3 — Rome, the river, and Three Forks
Morning: South on US-95 half an hour to the Pillars of Rome, the white clay "temple ruins" that named a town, then down to the Rome boat launch to watch river parties rig for the Wild & Scenic Owyhee (spring) or just to stand on the bank of Oregon's loneliest river.
The fork in your day: if you've got high clearance, dry roads, and a spirit of adventure, take the long dirt road to Three Forks, where three branches of the Owyhee meet beneath the canyon walls — and, at low water, a warm-spring waterfall pours into soakable pools. Otherwise, spend the afternoon on a gravel ride or with a fly rod, and be back for one more cafe dinner.
Make it yours
- Rafters: come in spring and bolt this itinerary onto the front of a Rome–Birch Creek float.
- Hunters & anglers: October swaps swimming for chukar; the sporting page has the seasons.
- Photographers: reverse Day 2 — Leslie Gulch's best light is actually late afternoon on the west-facing walls.
- Rodeo travelers: build the whole trip around the Big Loop Rodeo, third full weekend in May — and book town lodging months out.