Overview

One of the best places to truly get away from it all is the small cowboy town of Burns, also known as the gateway to beautiful Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon. Burns is located in Harney County, a sparsely populated county that is larger than many states on the East Coast. The town is surrounded by wide open grassy plains and hills dotted with sagebrush and juniper.

Location

Burns, OR is located on Hwy 20 in Central Oregon. It is 130 miles southeast of Bend.

Services/Amenities

Burns offers its visitors several hotels, a B&B, and RV parks for lodging. There are also several dining options including delis, pizza parlors, a steak house, and Mexican and Thai restaurants.

Activities

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy the variety of recreational opportunities around Burns. There are plenty of places to hike, ride horseback, or backpack in Harney Basin and the Ochoco National Forest. Fishing, boating, and camping are popular activities at nearby Malheur Lake. Rock hunting for thunder eggs, fossils, petrified wood, and agate is also popular in this part of Oregon.

Attractions

While you’re in Burns take some time to visit the Harney County Historical Museum. Displays include artifacts from the turn of the century including wagons and a pioneer kitchen, Northern Paiute Indian artifacts, and cowboy photos from long ago.

Located 30 miles south of Burns is the Malheur National Wildlife Reuge. Spread over 185,000 acres, this refuge is a paradise for anyone who enjoys bird watching. It is a regular stopping point for nearly 300 species of birds.

Getting Here

To get to Bend from Burns just follow Hwy 20 west. One of the highlights of the drive is the Glass Buttes. Approximately 60 miles west of Burns just south of Hwy 20, the Glass Buttes attract rock collectors from all over the world in search of the beautiful obsidian for which they are famous.