Recreation opportunities in the Lakes Basin are abundant. Popular activities include camping, picnicking, sightseeing, hiking, birding, and horseback riding. Higher elevations provide opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing during the winter. The Lakes Basin also hosts several species of big game, waterfowl, and predators that can be hunted during certain seasons. Anglers can test their skills in the Donner und Blitzen River, or any of several lakes and reservoirs.
Hiking is a popular activity
in the Lakes Basin
(Oregon State Archives)
The Lakes Basin also contains places of cultural and historical interest, including the Riddle Brothers Ranch, the Kiger Wild Horse Viewing Area, the historic P Ranch, and the Sod House Ranch. Other areas, such as the Alvord Desert, Diamond Craters Outstanding Natural Area, and the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, represent unique and valuable geological and ecological resources.
For more information on recreation opportunities in the Lakes Basin, visit these sites:
- Bureau of Land Management recreational sites in the Burns District
- Bureau of Land Management recreational sites in the Lakeview District
- Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge
- Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area
- Summer Lake Wildlife Area
- Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
- Hiking and climbing within the Lakes Basin
- Steens Mountain fall foliage article
- Oregon Field Guide Steens Mountain in Winter video
