Vale

Vale was the first stop in Oregon for travelers on the Oregon Trail.

Today, there are many historical places to explore. Visit Rinehart’s Stone House, long used as a stopping place for travelers, or take a ride around town to see the Oregon Trail murals. Just south of Vale is Keeney Pass, an interpretive site where the Oregon Trail wagon ruts are still visible. Vale offers plenty of outdoor recreation. Bully Creek Park and Lake Owyhee State Park offer opportunities for boating, fishing, waterskiing, hiking and picnicking, and both have RV facilities. This area is also known for its excellent hunting and fishing.

Trip Ideas

  • The Open Road

    I'm 300 miles southeast of my home in Portland and I'm spending the next three days exploring Oregon's most remote region. Armed with only a loose plan to head east into the Owyhee country and...
  • A Scavenger Hunt for the Murals of Vale

    Sometimes you have to head east to feel like you’re in the Old West. Just 12 miles from the Idaho border, the humble town of Vale offers a big slice of centuries-old Oregon heritage. It’s...
  • Wild Beauty in the Owyhee Canyonlands

    In Southeastern Oregon, far from the state’s signature moss-dripped forests, lies one of the most remote stretches of the American West. Only three paved roads cut across the Owyhee Canyonlands, a region of undulant sagebrush...
    Heidi Hagemeier, Guest Author
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