Looking for tips on touring the Steens Mtn/Alvord Desert/Malheur Refuge in SE OR

[timothydonner]

Does anyone have experience bike touring in the Steens Mountain/Alvord Desert/Malheur Wildlife Refuge area in SE Oregon? Looking for tips and suggestions. I plan on heading out there next summer for about a week. Looking for places to camp and routes in that area.
Any help would be appreciated!

Tim D.

[Eugenemtbing]

Have you checked out the Velodirt website or contacted Donnie Kolb?  He has good info, I believe.

[trail54runner]

Cycle Oregon covered a lot of this area in September.  They have some good route maps on their site.  Cycle Oregon, as well as rangers at Malheur Wildlife Refuge, and Visitors Center in Burns, would have some good ideas on bike camping locations.

Rides 70 & 71 in "75 Classic Rides Oregon" (by Jim Moore, The Mountaineers Books) covers this area.  It's also a 4-6 day trip described in "Cycling Sojourner" by Ellee Thalheimer. Also in Road Biking Oregon (Lizann Dunegan - Falcon Guide).

Neat area!  Be sure to stock up on water whenever you can!

[dbarth]

There were two articles by Chuck Haney featured in Adventure Cyclist Magazine from 2007 that might be helpful.
They are available through the Adventure Cycling publications archive.

Staying in the Loop on Steens Mountain

Steens Mountain: Road Riding in Southeast Oregon

[jrswenberger]

http://jjpeterberger.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/october-in-southeastern-oregon-around-steens-mountain/

[22hornet]

Jrs thanks for the link, this ride is on my radar ,gotta love Oregon they seem to have cyclists best interests in mind. Jim