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Nestled among cream and chocolate colored hills, barren red cliffs, and towering rock spires lays a secret oasis: the Birch Creek Historic Ranch. Established in the early 1900s, the ingenuity and determination of a Basque sheepherder and a West Virginia cattle rancher are still evident at the site today. Stone walls built in the Basque tradition still ascend the mesa. Remnants of a waterwheel hint at the lush alfalfa fields fed through the gravity irrigation system. Nineteen buildings and structures at the ranch contribute to the property's designation as a historical rural landscape on the Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places. Know Before You Go: Open YEAR ROUND, best access May-October. Accessibility is dependent on road conditions. A high clearance, four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. There is a single water source and restroom. Five-unit campground. Point of Interest: Contact the Bureau of Land Management Vale District office for facilities rental information, current road access conditions, and any seasonal fire closure restrictions. Birch Creek Ranch Brochure Explore Oregon Recreation: Birch Creek Historic Ranch
The Birch Creek Historic Ranch is located in the southeast corner of Oregon in Malheur County. From Highway 95, 8 miles north of Jordan Valley, turn west at the Jordan Craters sign onto Cow Creek Road. Follow Bureau of Land Management Owyhee River access signs 28 miles to the ranch.
The final stretch to the ranch descends ~6 miles through steep rocky terrain and multiple creek crossings.
