Visiting the Extraordinary Alvord Desert and Hot Springs in Southeast Oregon

The Alvord Desert is an otherworldly land located in southeast Oregon, at the base of the Steen Mountains, and down a nearly 60-mile long gravel road that connects a handful of ranches to the rest of Oregon.  The following is a list of the best things to do in the Alvord Desert.

This post contains affiliate links.  This website earns a small commission for items purchased through these links with no additional cost to you. 

Visit the Alvord Desert “Playa”

The Alvord Desert is a flat, powder white lakebed.  When it’s dry, there’s cracked earth everywhere.  When it’s wet it’s mush.  While it’s always interesting to look at, the times it i dry offers some interesting opportunities!

Alvord Desert Driving – Explore Your Inner Speed Demon

If you can, take a drive on the desert.  It’s awesome to drive “off-road” without a 4×4.  The first time I pushed on the gas of my Ford Transit Connect, it felt like I was going so fast, but I looked at the speedometer and I was only going 35 mph.  Eventually I got up to 88 mph – the fastest my little van has ever gone.  The women’s world land record was set here, but sadly another woman was trying to break this record in August 2019 crashed and died, so take care. 

Fun with Photography at Alvord Desert

The desert is a great place to practice your shadow or perspective photography.  Perspective photography is the sense of depth between objects in a picture.  So you can stand farther behind another person and look like you’re standing on their hand, or get as creative as you want.  Late afternoon will allow you to get elongated shadow pictures. 

Alvord Hot Springs

Most people who visit the desert also go to Alvord Hot Springs.  You can visit for the day for $8 with limited hours or you can use the springs at any hour if you’re staying overnight at the campground (details below).  This manmade structure has two pools, one in a shed and the other immediately outside.  There’s also a small changing room and several benches. The pools have spigots with hot water so you can control the temperature.   Clothing is optional, but they recommend staying dressed if there are children around. 

Land Sailing (or be a Spectator)

The desert looks like an awesome place for land sailing (sand yachting, land yachting, etc.)   Several people were having fun during my visit.

Sunrise over the Alvord Desert

The sunrises are legendary in the Alvord Desert.  Sadly, it rained most of the night and was pouring rain at the time of sunrise so there was no sunrise at Alvord Hot Springs.  But it gives me a reason to go back!  There were a couple other things I wanted to check out in the region, and I left since the weather was turning nasty, so I definitely will go back. 

Getting to the Alvord Desert

There is a single road that can be taken to the desert and hot springs, the Fields-Denio Road which runs from southwest to northeast, between Oregon Highways 205 (junction near Fields, OR) and 78.  This road is part of the East Steens Tour Route, one of Oregon’s official tourism routes.  Most people approach from the west, but it’s worth driving the length of the entire road, most of which is gravel.   It’s likely you will see more cows on the road than cars and trucks!  The whole road offers views of the Steens Mountains to the northwest. 

Other Tips to Visit the Alvord Desert

The best time to visit Alvord Desert is the summer, as the lake bed is dry enough for driving.  If you visit at any other time, it’s likely too wet to allow driving.  While it’s beautiful at any time of year, driving on the Playa was my biggest highlight.  The Alvord Desert weather includes cold days in the winter and hot in the summer.  It’s not possible to drive on the playa when it is wet, so it’s most advisable to visit from July to October if you want to drive on the playa. There was quite a bit of rain overnight during my visit in mid-September and there was water standing on the “lake” the next morning.

Do NOT try to attempt on the Playa if there is any rain/wetness.   This is a recipe for getting stuck in the mud and the Alvord Desert is in one of the most remote places in the continental USA. 

The Playa is around 12 miles long, and there are only a couple vehicle access points.   Pay attention to your surroundings of where you enter the playa, or better yet place a pin in your GPS/map app.  You don’t want to be driving around the rim of the playa looking for a way out as there are several springs and thus, several soft spots where you can get stuck. 

Know where to get gas.  There are no gas stations on the 66 miles of the Fields-Denio Road, much of it gravel.  The closest gas station is to the west in Field, Oregon.  The Fields General Store Motel & Gas station is also home to famous burgers and milkshakes.  To the east, the closest gas station is in Rome, on US Highway 95, near the Owyhee River.

Alvord Desert Lodging – Alvord Desert Hot Springs Campground

The fee for camping is $30 per night for 2 people plus $15 per night for additional people.  There are also some bunkhouses or containers, called the “MASH” units for $60 per night.  As a single traveler, they let me camp for $25 (an unadvertised special).   The advantage of camping at Alvord Desert Hot Springs Campground is that you can use the hot springs whenever you’d like, including sunrise.  Another advantage is there is a private drive to the playa for guests (you get the code for the locked gate when you check in at the campground).   The campground has a bathroom with running water and a small shop in the office where you can get snacks and drinks. 

Alvord Desert Camping  – Where to Camp for Free at Alvord Desert

The Frog Springs national recreation site is located only about a mile southwest of Alvord Desert Hot Springs.  The drive down to the Playa is pretty rough here, but you can camp either on the Playa or near the small parking lot, that has trash bins and a vault (pit) toilet. 

Check out these other otherworldly deserts:

Salton Sea in the Mojave Desert of California

Gobi Desert in Mongolia

The burning gas crater in Turkmenistan desert

Like this post? Click on one of the pictures below to save to pinterest.

Sharing is caring!