![]() ![]() ![]() We paid the hot springs to use their road on and off the desert, which I highly recommend. Each was well worth the visit.įive hours later, we arrived at the Alvord Desert Hot Springs! We were SO relieved to have decent air quality! We had parked next to a hill striped with the colorful layers the Painted Hills are known for, and we weren’t even inside the monument yet!Īfter wandering a few short trails and driving through all the viewpoints, we headed for a quick drive through the John Day National Monument as well. That morning, it was so fun to wake up and see our surroundings in daylight for the first time. We arrived at 2:00 am after driving for five hours and slept in our car for the night (romantic, right!?). Our first stop along the drive was at the Painted Hills. If not, camping in hazardous air quality would be impossible. We left late Thursday night, crossing our fingers that we could outrun the smoke from western Oregon’s fires. The ten-hour drive there and raging wildfires throughout the Pacific Northwest made it a bit of a gamble, though. That’s why during the height of the pandemic, Zach and I knew dry camping there would make for the perfect way to celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary. It’s like the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, but without the crowds. It’s 12 miles of beautiful desert and hot springs overlooked by the Steen Mountains in remote, southeastern Oregon. The Alvord Desert might just be Oregon’s best-kept secret. ![]()
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