Ochoco Mountains
Encyclopedia
The Ochoco Mountains are a mountain range
in central Oregon
. The Ochoco Mountains form the western end of the Blue Mountains province
. The mountains were formed when Permian
, Triassic
, and Jurassic
rocks were slowly uplifted by volcanic eruptions
to form the Clarno Formation
. Today, the highest point in the range is Lookout Mountain. The dominant vegetation on the west side of the range is old growth Ponderosa pine
; on the east side Western juniper is common. The western area of the Ochoco Mountains is administered by the Ochoco National Forest
. The southeastern part of the range is part of the Malheur National Forest
. The Ochoco Mountains are an excellent area for hiking
, camping
, bird watching, rockhounding
, and hunting
as well as cross-country skiing
in the winter.
form the western end of the Blue Mountains province. The Blue Mountains are not a single cohesive range, they are a complex of mountain ranges and inter-mountain basins and valleys which extend from the northeast corner of Oregon southwestward into central Oregon ending near Prineville
. The Ochoco portion of the province is part of a wide uplifted plateau, made of rocks from the Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic periods (300 to 200 million years old) which were transported by the Pacific Plate
and accreated in the late Mesozoic
era (about a 100 million years ago) as part of a vast shallow sea, and then slowly uplift by volcanic eruptions during the Eocene
epoch (50 to 37 million years ago) to form the Clarno Formation. From 37 to 17 million years ago, eruptions in the western Cascades
spread ash across eastern Oregon, forming the John Day Formation
. From 17 to 14 million years ago, major volcanic eruptions covered much of the province with the basalt
flows that comprise the Columbia River Basalt Group
. Since then, continued faulting and uplift has resulted in a deeply eroded landscape. Stein’s Pillar is an excellent example of this erosion.
During the Eocene epoch, central Oregon volcanoes deposited layers of lava and ash up to 1000 feet (304.8 m) thick over the area that is now the Ochoco Mountains. Large mudflows called lahars were also common during that period. These mudflows often covered and preserved the plants and animals, resulting in fossil beds. Today, fossils of prehistoric trees, fruits, nuts, and flowers can be found in the Ochoco Mountains along with fossilized animals including horses, camels, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus.
on the eastern and southern slopes. The high mountain meadows host a wide variety of wild flowers and even ferns in some areas. Big Summit Prairie near the center of the Ochoco Range is well known for its spring wild flowers displays.
Ponderosa pine is the dominant tree species in most parts of the Ochoco Mountains. These pines are common at elevations from 3,000 to 6100 feet (1,859.3 m) above sea level. Manzanita
, antelope bitterbrush, and ceanothus
are common shrubs in the pine-dominated areas with Idaho fescue and Ross' sedge as the main ground cover. Ponderosa pine forests are tolerant of drought and are adapted to survive low-intensity wildfires. Birds commonly found in the pine forests of the Ochoco Mountains include the northern flicker
, hairy woodpecker
, red-tailed hawk
, and Steller's jay
. Central Oregon’s ponderosa pine forests are an important winter range for mule deer
and Rocky Mountain elk
.
On the dryer eastern side of the Ochoco Mountains, the Western juniper trees survive on as little as eight inches (203 mm) of precipitation per year. The Ochoco’s juniper woodland cover wide areas from 3,000 to 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) in elevation. Antelope bitterbrush and sagebrush are common shrubs in these areas with Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass
as the main ground cover. Juniper woodlands are home to mountain bluebird
s, Townsend's Solitaire
s, and ferruginous hawk
s during the spring and summer. There are also many small mammals and lizards that are prey for coyote
.
Big Summit Prairie is a large high country meadow in the middle of the Ochoco Mountains. Big Summit meadow covers twenty square miles. The prairie is covered by water-loving grasses, overgrown by willows and shrubs in some areas. Tufted hairgrass, elephant's head
, and horsetail
are common ground cover in the vast meadow land. Quaking aspen with shrubby undergrowth attract wildlife not found in other parts of the Ochoco Mountains. Common birds include sandhill crane
, Wilson's Snipe
, long-billed curlew
, and northern harrier. Even the rare dickcissel
has been sighted at Big Summit Prairie. Larger animals include mule deer, pronghorn antelope, Belding's ground squirrel
, Northern Pocket Gopher
, meadow mice, and coyotes. Also, Rocky Mountain elk
move into the area in the fall.
Big Summit Prairie is particularly well known from its wildflowers and butterflies. From April through June, flowers cover Big Summit meadow. The first wildflowers to bloom are usually grass widow, wild parsley
, and shooting star
s. From May through June, Wyethia
, buttercups, and camas
display their colors. In drier areas, bitterroot
bloom with large white and pink flowers. In June and July, other flowers take over the display including Missouri iris
, larkspur
, Indian paintbrush
, checkermallow, and arrowleaf balsamroot
. One notable plant is Peck’s Mariposa Lily, a type of Calochortus
with lavender petals. This plant is found only in the Ochoco Mountains. Butterfly species common to the Big Summit Prairie include hairstreak, skipper
, Eastern tailed-blue
, Lycaenidae
, checkerspot
, fritillary
, swallowtail
, admiral, and tortoiseshell
.
. The Ochoco National Forest is responsible for most of the mountain area; however the southeastern part of the range in the Malheur National Forest. Some land in the Ochoco area is also administered by the Bureau of Land Management
. Hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, horseback riding, bird watching, and rockhounding are all popular activities.
The Ochoco National Forest maintains 27 campgrounds in or near the Ochoco Mountains. The largest are Antelope Flat Reservoir, Ochoco Divide, Walton Lake, and Wildcat campground. The Malheur National Forest has several campgrounds in the Ochoco Mountains as well. The largest is the campground at Delintment Lake.
The unique geology of the Ochoco Mountains has resulted in a wide variety of rock types being located in a relatively small area. This brings rockhounds to the area every summer. The Bureau of Land Management and the Ochoco National Forest both have designated areas where rockhounds can search for agate
, jasper
, petrified wood
, petrified moss, and dendrite
. These rock collection sites are for personal use only, gathering rocks for commercial purposes is prohibited. Thunderegg
s can be found at Whistle Springs. Even though the area has been worked by rockhounds for many years, quality thunder eggs are still found at the site. There are also some rare rocks and mineral
s found in the central Oregon in or near the Ochoco Mountains including opal
s, amethyst
, gem quality calcite
, cinnabar
, selenite, gypsum
, and amygdaloid
nodules.
, Black Canyon Wilderness
, and Mill Creek Wilderness
.
Mountain range
A mountain range is a single, large mass consisting of a succession of mountains or narrowly spaced mountain ridges, with or without peaks, closely related in position, direction, formation, and age; a component part of a mountain system or of a mountain chain...
in central Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The Ochoco Mountains form the western end of the Blue Mountains province
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
. The mountains were formed when Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
, Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
, and Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
rocks were slowly uplifted by volcanic eruptions
Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanic Eruptions is a company owned by Crispin Glover. The company produces and issues Glover's work: It has released two films to date, What Is It? and its sequel, It is Fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE . Its current plans include releasing the final film in the trilogy titled It Is Mine...
to form the Clarno Formation
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived in the...
. Today, the highest point in the range is Lookout Mountain. The dominant vegetation on the west side of the range is old growth Ponderosa pine
Ponderosa Pine
Pinus ponderosa, commonly known as the Ponderosa Pine, Bull Pine, Blackjack Pine, or Western Yellow Pine, is a widespread and variable pine native to western North America. It was first described by David Douglas in 1826, from eastern Washington near present-day Spokane...
; on the east side Western juniper is common. The western area of the Ochoco Mountains is administered by the Ochoco National Forest
Ochoco National Forest
The Ochoco National Forest is located in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the City of Prineville, location of the National Forest Headquarters. It encompasses of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddities, dense pine forests, and high desert terrain, as well as the headwaters of...
. The southeastern part of the range is part of the Malheur National Forest
Malheur National Forest
The Malheur National Forest is a National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains 1.7 million acres in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest include high desert grasslands, sage, juniper, pine, fir, and other tree species. Elevations vary from about 4000 feet to the 9038...
. The Ochoco Mountains are an excellent area for hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, bird watching, rockhounding
Rockhounding
Amateur geology is the recreational study and hobby of collecting rocks and mineral specimens from their natural environment.-Collecting:...
, and hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
as well as cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
in the winter.
Geology
The Ochoco Mountains in central OregonCentral Oregon
Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south...
form the western end of the Blue Mountains province. The Blue Mountains are not a single cohesive range, they are a complex of mountain ranges and inter-mountain basins and valleys which extend from the northeast corner of Oregon southwestward into central Oregon ending near Prineville
Prineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. The Ochoco portion of the province is part of a wide uplifted plateau, made of rocks from the Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic periods (300 to 200 million years old) which were transported by the Pacific Plate
Pacific Plate
The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At 103 million square kilometres, it is the largest tectonic plate....
and accreated in the late Mesozoic
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
era (about a 100 million years ago) as part of a vast shallow sea, and then slowly uplift by volcanic eruptions during the Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
epoch (50 to 37 million years ago) to form the Clarno Formation. From 37 to 17 million years ago, eruptions in the western Cascades
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
spread ash across eastern Oregon, forming the John Day Formation
John Day Formation
The John Day Formation is series of rock strata exposed in the John Day River basin of north-central Oregon in the United States. The strata, which vary in age from 39 million years to 18 million years, were formed mainly from ashfalls from volcanoes to the west...
. From 17 to 14 million years ago, major volcanic eruptions covered much of the province with the basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
flows that comprise the Columbia River Basalt Group
Columbia River Basalt Group
The Columbia River Basalt Group is a large igneous province that lies across parts of the Western United States. It is found in the U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, and California...
. Since then, continued faulting and uplift has resulted in a deeply eroded landscape. Stein’s Pillar is an excellent example of this erosion.
During the Eocene epoch, central Oregon volcanoes deposited layers of lava and ash up to 1000 feet (304.8 m) thick over the area that is now the Ochoco Mountains. Large mudflows called lahars were also common during that period. These mudflows often covered and preserved the plants and animals, resulting in fossil beds. Today, fossils of prehistoric trees, fruits, nuts, and flowers can be found in the Ochoco Mountains along with fossilized animals including horses, camels, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus.
Topography
The Ochoco Mountain covers an area of 4889 square miles (12,662.5 km²), running 114 miles (183.5 km) north to south and 86 miles (138.4 km) east to west. The eight highest peaks in the range are:- Lookout Mountain, summit 6926 feet (2,111 m)
- Spanish Peak, summit 6871 feet (2,094.3 m)
- Mount Pisgah, summit 6816 feet (2,077.5 m)
- Round Mountain, summit 6755 feet (2,058.9 m)
- East Point, summit 6625 feet (2,019.3 m)
- North Point, summit 6607 feet (2,013.8 m)
- Wolf Mountain, summit 6483 feet (1,976 m)
- View Point, summit 6266 feet (1,909.9 m)
Ecology
The vegetation in the Ochoco Mountains ranges from old growth Ponderosa pines on the western slopes and in the mountain valleys to western juniper and sagebrushSagebrush
Sagebrush is a common name of a number of shrubby plant species in the genus Artemisia native to western North America;Or, the sagebrush steppe ecoregion, having one or more kinds of sagebrush, bunchgrasses and others;...
on the eastern and southern slopes. The high mountain meadows host a wide variety of wild flowers and even ferns in some areas. Big Summit Prairie near the center of the Ochoco Range is well known for its spring wild flowers displays.
Manzanita
Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus Arctostaphylos. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia, Washington to California, Arizona and New Mexico in the United States, and...
, antelope bitterbrush, and ceanothus
Ceanothus
Ceanothus L. is a genus of about 50–60 species of shrubs or small trees in the buckthorn family Rhamnaceae. The genus is confined to North America, the center of its distribution in California, with some species in the eastern United States and southeast Canada, and others extending as far south...
are common shrubs in the pine-dominated areas with Idaho fescue and Ross' sedge as the main ground cover. Ponderosa pine forests are tolerant of drought and are adapted to survive low-intensity wildfires. Birds commonly found in the pine forests of the Ochoco Mountains include the northern flicker
Northern Flicker
The Northern Flicker is a medium-sized member of the woodpecker family. It is native to most of North America, parts of Central America, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, and is one of the few woodpecker species that migrate. There are over 100 common names for the Northern Flicker...
, hairy woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
The Hairy Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, averaging approximately 250 mm in length with a 380 mm wingspan...
, red-tailed hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. It breeds throughout most of North America, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West...
, and Steller's jay
Steller's Jay
The Steller's Jay is a jay native to western North America, closely related to the Blue Jay found in the rest of the continent, but with a black head and upper body. It is also known as the Long-crested Jay, Mountain Jay, and Pine Jay...
. Central Oregon’s ponderosa pine forests are an important winter range for mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
and Rocky Mountain elk
Rocky Mountain Elk
The Rocky Mountain Elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins...
.
On the dryer eastern side of the Ochoco Mountains, the Western juniper trees survive on as little as eight inches (203 mm) of precipitation per year. The Ochoco’s juniper woodland cover wide areas from 3,000 to 4300 feet (1,310.6 m) in elevation. Antelope bitterbrush and sagebrush are common shrubs in these areas with Idaho fescue and bluebunch wheatgrass
Bluebunch wheatgrass
Pseudoroegneria spicata is a species of grass known by the common name Bluebunch Wheatgrass. This native western North American perennial bunchgrass is known by the scientific synonyms Elymus spicatus and Agropyron spicatum. The grass can be found from Alaska to Texas. It occurs in many types of...
as the main ground cover. Juniper woodlands are home to mountain bluebird
Mountain Bluebird
The Mountain Bluebird is a medium-sized bird weighing about 2-5 ounces, with a length from 15–20 cm . They have light underbellies and black eyes. Adult males have thin bills are bright turquoise-blue and somewhat lighter beneath. Adult females have duller blue wings and tail, grey breast,...
s, Townsend's Solitaire
Townsend's Solitaire
Townsend's Solitaire is a medium-sized thrush, the only solitaire native to America north of Mexico.-Range and habitat:...
s, and ferruginous hawk
Ferruginous Hawk
The Ferruginous Hawk , Buteo regalis , is a large bird of prey. It is not a true hawk like sparrowhawks or goshawks, but rather belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks, known as "buzzards" in Europe...
s during the spring and summer. There are also many small mammals and lizards that are prey for coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
.
Pedicularis groenlandica
Pedicularis groenlandica is a showy flowering plant in the Scrophulariaceae which is known by the common names elephant's head and elephanthead lousewort. This erect plant can grow to a height of 80 centimeters. Its sharply-toothed fernlike leaves are located low on the stout stem. The stem is...
, and horsetail
Horsetail
Equisetum is the only living genus in the Equisetaceae, a family of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds.Equisetum is a "living fossil", as it is the only living genus of the entire class Equisetopsida, which for over one hundred million years was much more diverse and...
are common ground cover in the vast meadow land. Quaking aspen with shrubby undergrowth attract wildlife not found in other parts of the Ochoco Mountains. Common birds include sandhill crane
Sandhill Crane
The Sandhill Crane is a large crane of North America and extreme northeastern Siberia. The common name of this bird references habitat like that at the Platte River, on the edge of Nebraska's Sandhills in the American Midwest...
, Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Snipe
Wilson's Snipe is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe, G. gallinago. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of seven.Adults are...
, long-billed curlew
Long-billed Curlew
The Long-billed Curlew, Numenius americanus, is a large North American shorebird of the family Scolopacidae. This species was also called "sicklebird" and the "candlestick bird". The species is native to central and western North America...
, and northern harrier. Even the rare dickcissel
Dickcissel
The Dickcissel is a small American seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is the only member of the genus Spiza, though some sources list another supposedly extinct species...
has been sighted at Big Summit Prairie. Larger animals include mule deer, pronghorn antelope, Belding's ground squirrel
Belding's Ground Squirrel
Belding's ground squirrel , also called pot gut, sage rat or picket-pin, is a squirrel that lives on mountains in the western United States. In California, it often is found at 6,500–11,800 feet in meadows between Lake Tahoe and Kings Canyon...
, Northern Pocket Gopher
Northern Pocket Gopher
The Northern Pocket Gopher, Thomomys talpoides, was first discovered by Lewis and Clark on April 9, 1805 at the mouth of the Knife River, North Dakota. These animals are often rich brown or yellowish brown, but also grayish or closely approaching local soil color and have white markings under chin...
, meadow mice, and coyotes. Also, Rocky Mountain elk
Rocky Mountain Elk
The Rocky Mountain Elk is a subspecies of elk found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent ranges of Western North America. The winter ranges are most common in open forests and floodplain marshes in the lower elevations. In the summer it migrates to the subalpine forests and alpine basins...
move into the area in the fall.
Big Summit Prairie is particularly well known from its wildflowers and butterflies. From April through June, flowers cover Big Summit meadow. The first wildflowers to bloom are usually grass widow, wild parsley
Cryptotaenia
Cryptotaenia is a genus of two species of herbaceous perennial plants, native to North America and eastern Asia, growing wild in moist, shady places.-Species:*Cryptotaenia canadensis...
, and shooting star
Dodecatheon
Dodecatheon is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants in the Primrose family Primulaceae. The species have basal clumps of leaves and nodding flowers that are produced at the top of tall stems that rise from where the leaves join the crown. They are commonly called Shooting Stars because of the...
s. From May through June, Wyethia
Wyethia
Wyethia is a genus of flowering plants in the sunflower family commonly referred to as mule's ears. These are short, low to the ground golden-rayed wildflowers that resemble miniature sunflowers.Selected species:...
, buttercups, and camas
Camassia
Camassia is a genus of six species native to western North America, from southern British Columbia to northern California, and east to Utah, Wyoming and Montana...
display their colors. In drier areas, bitterroot
Bitterroot
Bitterroot is a small, low plant with a pink to white flower. It is the state flower of Montana, United States....
bloom with large white and pink flowers. In June and July, other flowers take over the display including Missouri iris
Iris (plant)
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, larkspur
Delphinium
Delphinium is a genus of about 300 species of perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The common name, larkspur, is shared with the closely related genus Consolida...
, Indian paintbrush
Castilleja
Castilleja, commonly known as Indian paintbrush or Prairie-fire, is a genus of about 200 species of annual and perennial herbaceous plants native to the west of the Americas from Alaska south to the Andes, northern Asia, and one species as far west as the Kola Peninsula in Siberia...
, checkermallow, and arrowleaf balsamroot
Balsamorhiza sagittata
Balsamorhiza sagittata is a species of flowering plant in the sunflower tribe of the plant family Asteraceae known by the common name arrowleaf balsamroot. It is native to much of western North America from British Columbia to California to the Dakotas, where it grows in many types of habitat from...
. One notable plant is Peck’s Mariposa Lily, a type of Calochortus
Calochortus
Calochortus is a genus of bulbous plants that includes 70 species from British Columbia to Guatemala and east to Nebraska. Calochortus is the most widely dispersed genus of Liliaceae on the North American Pacific coast. Of these, 28 species are endemic to California...
with lavender petals. This plant is found only in the Ochoco Mountains. Butterfly species common to the Big Summit Prairie include hairstreak, skipper
Skipper (butterfly)
A skipper or skipper butterfly is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. They are named after their quick, darting flight habits. There are more than 3500 recognized species of skippers and they occur worldwide, but with the greatest diversity in the Neotropical regions of Central and South...
, Eastern tailed-blue
Eastern tailed-blue butterfly
The Eastern Tailed-blue or Eastern Tailed Blue , also known as Everes comyntas, is a common butterfly of eastern North America. Males are generally blue on the upperside of their wings while females are lighter blue to brown or charcoal in coloring, but there are also varieties of purple and pink...
, Lycaenidae
Lycaenidae
The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...
, checkerspot
Variable Checkerspot
The Variable Checkerspot or Chalcedon Checkerspot is a species of butterfly, common in western North America from Alaska to Baja California and from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. A highly variable species, the wing upper surface is black to dark brown. The forewing is narrow and...
, fritillary
Uncompahgre Fritillary
The Uncompahgre Fritillary is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It is endemic to the United States. It is the last butterfly to be discovered in North America and was found by one Stanford University student and one University of Alberta student working out of the Rocky Mountain...
, swallowtail
Swallowtail butterfly
Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies that form the family Papilionidae. There are over 550 species, and though the majority are tropical, members of the family are found on all continents except Antarctica...
, admiral, and tortoiseshell
California tortoiseshell
The California Tortoiseshell is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.The California Tortoiseshell is known for having population explosions which cause the butterflies to migrate to new areas. The cause of these seemingly random population explosions is unknown...
.
Human uses
Most of the Ochoco Mountains are public lands, administered by the United States Forest ServiceUnited States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. The Ochoco National Forest is responsible for most of the mountain area; however the southeastern part of the range in the Malheur National Forest. Some land in the Ochoco area is also administered by the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
. Hiking, fishing, camping, hunting, horseback riding, bird watching, and rockhounding are all popular activities.
The Ochoco National Forest maintains 27 campgrounds in or near the Ochoco Mountains. The largest are Antelope Flat Reservoir, Ochoco Divide, Walton Lake, and Wildcat campground. The Malheur National Forest has several campgrounds in the Ochoco Mountains as well. The largest is the campground at Delintment Lake.
- Antelope Flat Reservoir campground has 24 camp sites surrounded by a scenic Ponderosa pine forest. The reservoir is not visible from the campground, but it is only a 10 minute walk to the lake shore. The campground is at 4600 feet (1,402.1 m) elevation. Potable water is available at the site along with picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets. The area is lightly used except on holiday weekends. FishingFishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, swimming, boatingBoatingBoating is the leisurely activity of travelling by boat, or the recreational use of a boat whether powerboats, sailboats, or man-powered vessels , focused on the travel itself, as well as sports activities, such as fishing or water skiing...
, and hiking are favorite activities.
- Ochoco Divide Campground is located in an old growth Ponderosa pine forest just off scenic U.S. Highway 26, 30 miles (48.3 km) east of Prineville, Oregon. The campground is located at 4600 feet (1,402.1 m) elevation. It has 28 camp sites, picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets. The campground is commonly used as an overnight stop for highway travelers, who then move on in the morning. As a result, the campground is often full at night, but very quiet during the day. Bandit Springs highway rest stop is one mile (1.6 km) west of the campground. The rest stop is the trailhead for several hiking trails. These trails are popular for hiking and mountain biking in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter.
- Walton Lake is a small lake surrounded by old growth Ponderosa pine and mountain meadows. The lake is stocked with Rainbow trout
Rainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
each summer. Two hiking trails are located in the area. The Walton Lake Trail is a one mile (1.6 km) loop around the lake while Round Mountain National Scenic Trail is a 7.5 miles (12.1 km) hike that offers the opportunity to see high country wildlife and many varieties of birds. The campground is located at 5000 feet (1,524 m) elevation. The site has potable water, picnic tables, fire pits, level tent sites, and vault toilets. There is also a day-use picnic area with two tables, cooking grills, a sandy lake shore beach, and a fishing pier. Fishing, swimming, boating, and hiking are popular activities at Walton Lake.
- Wildcat Campground is located southwest corner of Mill Creek Wilderness, approximately 19 miles (30.6 km) from Prineville. The campground is located at 3700 feet (1,127.8 m) elevation. It has 17 camp sites, potable water, picnic tables, fire pits, and vault toilets. A trailhead leading into the Mill Creek Wilderness is located adjacent to the campground. It connects to a network of hiking trails in the Mill Creek and Twin Pillars areas.
- Delintment Lake Campground is located 45 miles (72.4 km) northwest of Burns, OregonBurns, OregonBurns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 2,806.-History:Burns was established in the early 1880s and incorporated upon Harney county's creation in 1889...
. The campground is located at an elevation of 5600 feet (1,706.9 m). It has 33 camp sites, potable water from a hand-pump, 12 picnic sites, and vault toilets. Hiking, fishing, swimming, boating, and wildlife viewing are popular activities at Delintment Lake.
Agate
Agate is a microcrystalline variety of silica, chiefly chalcedony, characterised by its fineness of grain and brightness of color. Although agates may be found in various kinds of rock, they are classically associated with volcanic rocks and can be common in certain metamorphic rocks.-Etymology...
, jasper
Jasper
Jasper, a form of chalcedony, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. This mineral breaks with a smooth surface, and is used for ornamentation or as a gemstone. It can be highly polished and is used for vases, seals, and at one time for...
, petrified wood
Petrified wood
Petrified wood is the name given to a special type of fossilized remains of terrestrial vegetation. It is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of permineralization...
, petrified moss, and dendrite
Dendrite (crystal)
A crystal dendrite is a crystal that develops with a typical multi-branching tree-like form. Dendritic crystal growth is very common and illustrated by snowflake formation and frost patterns on a window. Dendritic crystallization forms a natural fractal pattern...
. These rock collection sites are for personal use only, gathering rocks for commercial purposes is prohibited. Thunderegg
Thunderegg
A thunderegg is a nodule-like geological structure, similar to a geode, that is formed within a rhyolitic lava flow.-Appearance and composition:...
s can be found at Whistle Springs. Even though the area has been worked by rockhounds for many years, quality thunder eggs are still found at the site. There are also some rare rocks and mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s found in the central Oregon in or near the Ochoco Mountains including opal
Opal
Opal is an amorphous form of silica related to quartz, a mineraloid form, not a mineral. 3% to 21% of the total weight is water, but the content is usually between 6% to 10%. It is deposited at a relatively low temperature and may occur in the fissures of almost any kind of rock, being most...
s, amethyst
Amethyst
Amethyst is a violet variety of quartz often used in jewelry. The name comes from the Ancient Greek ἀ a- and μέθυστος methustos , a reference to the belief that the stone protected its owner from drunkenness; the ancient Greeks and Romans wore amethyst and made drinking vessels of it in the belief...
, gem quality calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
, cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
, selenite, gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
, and amygdaloid
Vesicular texture
Vesicular texture is a volcanic rock texture characterised by a rock being pitted with many cavities at its surface and inside. The texture is often found in extrusive aphanitic, or glassy, igneous rock...
nodules.
Wilderness areas
The Ochoco National Forest has three wilderness areas in the Ochoco Mountains. They are Bridge Creek WildernessBridge Creek Wilderness
Bridge Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Ochoco Mountains of central Oregon, within the Ochoco National Forest. It was established in 1984 and comprises , making it one of the smallest Wilderness areas in the state.-Topography:...
, Black Canyon Wilderness
Black Canyon Wilderness
The Black Canyon Wilderness of Oregon is a wilderness area in the Ochoco National Forest. It drainage basin of the South Fork of the John Day River. It lies in Grant and Wheeler counties of Oregon. The nearest city is Dayville, in Grant County. It was established in 1984 and encompasses...
, and Mill Creek Wilderness
Mill Creek Wilderness
Mill Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Ochoco National Forest of central Oregon. It was established in 1984 and comprises . Of the three wilderness areas in the Ochoco National Forest - Mill Creek, Bridge Creek, and Black Canyon - Mill Creek is the largest and most heavily...
.
- Bridge Creek Wilderness is very remote; and at 5400 acres (21.9 km²), it is the smallest wilderness in Oregon. It has few visitors except during the fall hunting season. Its topography is dominated by steep forested slopes and barren plateaus, although it has some mountain meadow lands as well. The wilderness contains important winter elk habitat along Bridge Creek. Other large mammals common to the area include includes mule deer, black bearAmerican black bearThe American black bear is a medium-sized bear native to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most common bear species. Black bears are omnivores, with their diets varying greatly depending on season and location. They typically live in largely forested areas, but do leave forests in...
, and cougar. Pileated WoodpeckerPileated WoodpeckerThe Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
, goshawks, and prairie falconPrairie FalconThe Prairie Falcon is a medium-sized falcon of western North America.It is about the size of a Peregrine Falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm , wingspan of 1 metre , and weight of 720 g...
s nest in the Bridge Creek area. There are no trails in the Bridge Creek Wilderness, so this area is for experienced outdoorsmen.
- Black Canyon Wilderness encompasses 13400 acres (54.2 km²) with elevations ranging from 3,900 to 6400 feet (1,950.7 m) above sea level. The Black Canyon environment ranges from dense forest to steep basalt cliffs. The Black Canyon Wilderness is home to a wide range of wildlife including deer, elk, black bear, and cougar. Wildflowers such as crimson columbine, lupinLupinLupinus, commonly known as Lupins or lupines , is a genus in the legume family . The genus comprises about 280 species , with major centers of diversity in South and western North America , and the Andes and secondary centers in the Mediterranean region and Africa Lupinus, commonly known as Lupins...
e, and Indian paintbrush can be found throughout the wilderness. There are several hiking trails, all very rugged.
- Mill Creek Wilderness includes 17000 acres (68.8 km²) of protected land. The wilderness characterized by deep canyons and towering pinnacles including a pair of volcanic plugs called the Twin Pillars. These two rock outcroppings are found along the Twin Pillars Trail National Recreational Trail. The trailhead is at Wildcat Campground, just outside the wilderness boundary. Mill Creek Wilderness has a 21 miles (33.8 km) network of trails. The trails are used by both hikers and horse riders; however, the entire trail system is extremely rugged with many steep climbs and descents. The wilderness is dense pine and fir forest dissected by Mill Creek and its tributaries. Elk and deer are common in the Mill Creek area as well as black bear, wild turkeyWild TurkeyThe Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
, pileated woodpeckers, and goshawks. In the fall, the Mill Creek Wilderness is a popular area for hunters.