A couple of years ago I ran across an article on Oregon's Fort Rock in a travel magazine. I had never heard of the place, but exploring an ancient volcano sounded fun to me. I started planning a visit to Fork Rock and this was the summer I finally arrived. But that's getting ahead of things...
I rode out of Burns, Oregon on Highway 20 across the the wide open high desert. At Riley, I turned south on two lane Highway 395 till I reached the former town of Wagontire. I knew the cafe and gas pumps were closed, but I stopped to stretch my legs. Nobody was around except a curious dog who came out and looked me over. I tried to be friendly, but he kept his distance and soon wandered away.
After the break, I continued south on 395 and then turned west on Christmas Valley Road. This two lane blacktop runs through more brush covered desert to the small town of Christmas Valley where I filled up at the Chevron. I continued west and soon reached my destination, Fork Rock State Natural Area which is part of the Oregon State Park System.
It may not look too exciting from here, but let me explain. Fort Rock is a "tuff ring." It is the remainder of an prehistoric volcano that exploded under the ancient inland sea that once covered Oregon. A series of these explosions built up the ring into islands above the sea and when the water vanished, Fort Rock was left behind.
I rode out of Burns, Oregon on Highway 20 across the the wide open high desert. At Riley, I turned south on two lane Highway 395 till I reached the former town of Wagontire. I knew the cafe and gas pumps were closed, but I stopped to stretch my legs. Nobody was around except a curious dog who came out and looked me over. I tried to be friendly, but he kept his distance and soon wandered away.
After the break, I continued south on 395 and then turned west on Christmas Valley Road. This two lane blacktop runs through more brush covered desert to the small town of Christmas Valley where I filled up at the Chevron. I continued west and soon reached my destination, Fork Rock State Natural Area which is part of the Oregon State Park System.
It may not look too exciting from here, but let me explain. Fort Rock is a "tuff ring." It is the remainder of an prehistoric volcano that exploded under the ancient inland sea that once covered Oregon. A series of these explosions built up the ring into islands above the sea and when the water vanished, Fort Rock was left behind.
Despite the name Fort Rock, this volcanic formation was never actually a fort in the military sense. Still, the jagged, rock walls that tower 200 feet over the surrounding dry lake bed resemble the walls of a fort and can spark your imagination.
The scenery is beautiful and the history is amazing. Native American sandals dating from approximately 10,000 years ago were found in a nearby cave. These are evidence of some of the earliest humans in North America.
In the relaxing quiet while exploring the natural lava formations inside the immense rock walls, I wondered what the ancient people who once lived and visited here would think of this world today. Certainly, they could never have imagined it.
The day I visited was sunny and hot. The ground was baked rock hard and very dry. It was difficult to believe an inland sea had existed here. Still, a variety of life flourishes in these harsh conditions including birds, bats, "packrats" and larger predators such as coyotes.
Fort Rock is an easy day trip from Bend and along with its history, you'll find a nice covered picnic area with several picnic tables, modern bathroom facilities, and a large paved parking area. I would liked to have stayed longer, but was glad to have finally visited. There is never enough time to see and do everything on the road and I needed to get on to my next stop, Crater Lake National Park.
