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
Photos
Phone
Activities
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Geographic Coordinates
Directions
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 BLM Owyhee River access signs 28 miles to the Ranch.