Fire season is here. You are responsible to know the fire restriction and requirements found on the "Current Conditions" tab on website to review restrictions for fires, stoves, smoking, other burning, and equipment. Review the polices in place to prevent fires. Vehicles are permitted only on roads where flammable vegetation and debris does not come in contact with the vehicle undercarriage. Know that all motorized vehicles are required to carry fire suppression supplies such as a shovel, water container and/or fire extinguisher, and axe or pulaski.
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge "Current Conditions"
Sheldon Mountain National Wildlife Refuge "Current Conditions"
Blue Sky and May Lake (on southern entrance) Roads are reopened as of 7/3/25 at 9am while the Black Canyon Fire is active, being contained, and has no new growth in size. Fire behavior is very minimal at this time. The fire is in the Refuge and located two miles southeast of the intersection of Blue Sky and Martin Canyon Roads, in addition to being east of the 2024 Warner Peak Fire scar. Hot Springs Road and campground remain open. This fire was lightening caused from the evening of June 30th and is traveling on grasses. Expect variable winds and storms to affect fire behavior. For updated information, please follow the Southern Central Oregon's Fire Management Partnership - SCOFMP's social media .
Visit Us
A trip to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge provides visitors the opportunity to disconnect from daily life and enjoy fresh air, sweeping vistas, and a diverse landscape. The Refuge is an oasis in the desert. Snow melt and springs feed many seasonal and year-round creeks, attracting hundreds of species of wildlife. A natural hot spring nestled against the eastern base of Warner Peak provides a soothing retreat for area visitors.
Location and Contact Information
About Us
More than 30 million pronghorn once roamed North America. By the turn of the 20th century, only a few small bands were left. Hart Mountain was one of the last strongholds of this fleet-footed species. Set aside as a home for pronghorn, the Refuge is renowned as a dramatic landscape rich in wildlife diversity. Learn more about Hart Mountain and the impressive pronghorn who call Hart Mountain home: YouTube_Providing a Home for the Fastest Land Mammal in North America
Our Species
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge was established in 1936 to protect the American pronghorn which was in imminent danger of extinction. Together with Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge just a few miles south, the refuge today is important for the conservation of pronghorn, sage-grouse, American pika, California bighorn sheep, redband trout, and hundreds of other wildlife and plants which depend upon sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush habitats found in the high desert of the Great Basin.
Get Involved
Volunteers Needed!
We rely on volunteers for several jobs around the Refuge. Whether you're interested in spending a few weeks enjoying the Refuge as a Resident Camp Host, or are interested in spending a day or two assisting with general maintenance or invasive plant species work, we usually have a job that needs doing! Email Jamie Bertram to learn more: Jamie_Bertram@fws.gov.
Currently taking applications for a resident summer campground host(s) at Camp Hart Campground. Visit Volunteer.gov to apply.
Check out this recent Washington Post article on volunteering for Hart Mountain and other public lands here! A Guide to Volunteering in the Outdoors (by Kate Silver, May 5 2022)