Hart Mountain
Plan Your Visit
National Wildlife Refuges offer us all a chance to unplug from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with our natural surroundings. Hart Mountain’s diverse landscape and habitat offer visitors the chance to see an array of wildlife such as California bighorn sheep, coyotes, pronghorn and much more. Visitors can enjoy viewing any of the 246 species of birds that call the refuge home, searching for petroglyphs, or fishing at a quiet pond.
Driving through the west side of the refuge, visitors experience sweeping views of the Warner Valley while passing deep canyons. On the east side of Hart Mountain, some may choose to camp near lush aspen groves, wander through secluded pine forests or, if lucky, watch pronghorn or Greater sage-grouse in the sagebrush-grassland habitat typical of the Great Basin.
Located in the high desert of Oregon, precipitation (an average of 12” annually) comes primarily as winter snow or spring rains. Temperatures vary between extreme cold in the winter and hot, dry summer conditions. However, the refuge provides an oasis in the desert. Snow melt and springs feed many seasonal and year-round creeks and a natural hot spring nestled against the eastern base of Warner Peak provides a soothing retreat for area visitors.
For more trip planning details, visit our website for
From Lakeview, Oregon (Best Road Conditions):
- Take Hwy 140 east for 15.6 miles
- Turn north on Plush Cutoff (County Hwy 3-13) for 19.6 miles to Plush
- Follow signs to Hart Mountain by turning east on Hart Mountain Road (County Hwy 3-12) for 23 miles to the refuge headquarters
From Frenchglen, Oregon:
- Follow Highway 205 south for seven miles
- Turn west onto Rock Creek Road (becoming Hart Mountain-Frenchglen Road) and continue 41 miles to the refuge headquarters
Activities
More Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
While National Wildlife Refuges are here for wildlife and the American people, there are things you can do to get involved with the wildlife around your community and refuge.
Services
National wildlife refuges contribute to conservation by managing habitats, wildlife populations, and educating the public. Public services we provide are listed below:
About
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge was established on December 20, 1936, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve “…as a range and breeding ground for the antelope and other species of wildlife…” Today, management of the refuge has broadened to include conservation of all wildlife species characteristic of this high desert habitat and restoration of native ecosystems for the public’s enjoyment, education, and appreciation.
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is located in southcentral Oregon on a massive fault block ridge that ascends abruptly nearly three-quarters of a mile above the Warner Valley floor in a series of rugged cliffs, steep slopes, and knife-like ridges. The highest point being Warner Peak, with an elevation of 8,017 feet and the lowest elevation being 4,470 feet, near the edge of Bluejoint Lake at the base of Poker Jim Ridge. Visitors experience spectacular views of the beautiful Warner Valley Wetlands while ascending the west side entrance road to headquarters. The west face of the mountain is cut by several deep gorges. Hart, Potter, and DeGarmo canyons, the most rugged, extend from the valley floor to the top of the main ridge. The east side of the mountain is less precipitous, descending in a series of rolling hills and low ridges to the sagebrush -grasslands typical of southeastern Oregon and the Great Basin.
The rugged diversity of the terrain creates a rich mix of habitat types, home to more than 300 species of wildlife. Featured species include pronghorn antelope, California bighorn sheep, mule deer, greater sage-grouse, and redband trout. The 278,000-acre refuge is one of the most expansive wildlife habitats in the arid West free of domestic livestock.
Learn more about the pronghorn, the fastest animal in North America, here: Providing a Home for the Fastest Land Mammal in North America
