Birch Creek Historic Ranch

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