Steens Mountain Loop: Oregon's Highest Elevation Road at Warp Speed

Hello, and thank you for watching the first of what I hope to be a series of my favorite scenic drives in Oregon!

I'm starting things off with my all-time favorite--the Steens Mountain Loop, located in SE Oregon. When I went to film, the air was very hazy from nearby wildfires but even with limited visibility, the views at Steens Mountain are incredible.

Steens Mountain is considered Oregon's forgotten mountain. It stands at 9,733 feet (there are several different heights from different sources, ranging from 9,733-9,740...what's a few feet, right?). Steens Mountain is often confused with an entire mountain range. Nearly two miles high, the mountain is stretched out over 30 or so miles. In its rain shadow is the amazing Alvord Desert (another video I plan on creating in the future).

Steens Mountain is a seasonal road. It's typically opened from mid-to-late summer to mid-to-late fall. I've gone in June and found access still closed off. Your best bet is to go in late August or September.

Because its so remote, you'll rarely encounter a crowd. However, because of its remoteness, you NEED TO PLAN AHEAD before going. Ahem, sorry for shouting--I speak from my own experience and hard-learned lessons.

Here's my list of important things to consider and other tips before making this trek:

1. Fill up on gas and other supplies in Burns and bring at least a day's worth of food and water.

The closest proper town is Burns, which is about an hour away. The small towns of Frenchglen and Fields are near the entrance and exit but the services available in these towns are limited. During this trip, I had to fill up my tank in Fields and they were charging $6 a gallon for gas... the small diner there also stopped serving food around 3 p.m. so I had to buy some very expensive crackers and cheese from the only store in town. My point: Don't count on the services in Frenchglen or Fields.

2. Drive slowly. The road is very, very, very bumpy. My camera uses stabilization and it looks smooth but trust me--you're in for a bumpy ride. Make sure your car is in a good condition, especially your brakes and tires. You can make the drive in a regular front-wheel drive car, but avoid going down some of the more rugged side roads unless you have AWD/4WD.

3. I believe there are vehicle size restrictions for certain segments of the Loop. Please verify ahead of time. Even if there are not, I strongly recommend against attempting this drive in an RV or while towing a large camper. The hardest part would be the descent where the road is very windy, narrow, and there are no guardrails.

4. Watch out for cows and horses on the road. Farmers are allowed to graze cattle in some areas and I nearly had a collision with a cow that was sleeping ON THE ROAD late at night. Keep an eye out for the cattle grids on the road--you do not want to hit these at high speeds.

5. Steens has several fee campgrounds. There's also a small hotel in Frenchglen, which is about 3 miles from the loop entrance. I recommend the Steens Mountain Wilderness Resort, which is adjacent to the Loop entrance. I last stayed there in 2019 and it only cost $90 a night for my small cabin. The cabin was certainly...rustic...but it was clean and cozy, and the price was excellent!

This trip I had to get a hotel in Burns. Although it's nice having a big and clean hotel room, it's also an hour away from Frenchglen.

6. There's a ton of wildlife in the Steens Mountain WIldnerness area. The wild horses (I know, I know...they're technically feral horses) are a lot of fun to watch. Please keep a safe distance when viewing. I small group of horses surprised me when I was filming the larger herd and got much closer than I ever would have wanted. They're BIG animals and you would not want to spook them.