About this place

The Oregon Buttes WSA encompasses 5,700 acres of BLM-administered land with no private or state inholdings. The buttes are a prominent landmark, rising out of the northwestern portion of the Red Desert to an elevation of 8,612 feet. The area includes a wide variety of vegetation types including limber pine stands, thick aspen stands and wet meadows. The Oregon Buttes are an island in the Red Desert and were a landmark for settlers traveling the Oregon Trail. Opportunities for primitive and unconfined recreation are outstanding in the WSA. Being prime raptor habitat, the buttes provide bird watchers with a variety of species and uninterrupted observation. The WSA is also a prime area for scenic and wildlife photography, offering a unique variety of settings and subjects. Other recreation opportunities include hiking, rock climbing, rock hounding, backpacking, hunting, horseback riding and sightseeing. This is a fee-free site. The boundary route is accessible in most locations.