THE OWYHEE CANYONLANDS

Covering millions of acres of sagebrush, river canyons, and geologic wonders, the Owyhee Canyonlands is the largest conservation opportunity in the American West. 

Photo: M. Darnell

GEOLOGICAL WONDER

Revered as “Oregon’s Grand Canyon,” these canyonlands expose more than 65 million of years of geological history and volcanism, treating awestruck visitors to a palette of vermillion hues, chocolatey browns, and olive greens. 

Photo: J. Aylward

VITAL DESERT WATERS

The Owyhee Canyonlands is defined by the Owyhee River and its tributaries, a watershed that encompasses more than 11,000 square miles.

Photo: A. Sambuceto

DIVERSE HABITATS

The Owyhee Canyonlands includes thousands of square miles of rocky and riparian habitats and undulating Sagebrush Sea that support more than 1,200 species of plants, including at least 26 endemic plants that occur nowhere else in the world.

Photo: S. Phifer

ABUNDANT WILDLIFE

This stunning ecosystem is home to hundreds of wildlife species, including pronghorn, mule deer, Rocky Mountain elk, and California bighorn sheep; cougars, coyotes, badgers, and golden eagles; redband trout and Lahontan cutthroat trout; and greater sage-grouse and at least 150 other bird species.

Photo: J. Davis

IRREPLACABLE

CULTURAL VALUES

As the original homelands for Northern Paiute, Shoshone, and Bannock tribes, the Owyhee Canyonlands records at least 13,000 years of human history in the region, evinced by countless and irreplaceable cultural artifacts and sites that remain sacred to Indigenous peoples today. 

    Photo: AJ Carter   

RENOWNED DARK SKIES

The Owyhee Canyonlands is considered among the largest, wildest regions in the lower 48 states, offering boundless opportunities for recreation and preserving some of the darkest night skies in the nation.

Photo: J. Oleachea  

BOUNDLESS RECREATION

The Owyhee Canyonlands is renowned for its unparalleled recreational opportunities.

Adventurous visitors enjoy the Owyhee for hunting, angling, hiking, camping, river rafting, wildlife watching, star gazing, and exploration of the region’s wildlands.