Louse Canyon - North Hike
Hike Rating: Difficult
Hike
Length: 4.4 miles roundtrip (variable)
Elevation Loss: 60’
Trailhead Elevation: 5,400’
Best Season: September, when water levels are
low
and eagles have fledged from their nests
Driving Access: Any vehicle, with strong tires
Plus
Points
• Magnificent 300'-high rhyolite cliffs, eroded into
spires, palisades and vertical walls
• Louse Canyon is a Wild-and-Scenic River within a BLM
Wilderness Study Area
• Beavers are a major force in the canyon, creating
numerous dammed water pools
• Aeries (stick nests) of golden eagles are found on ledges
high on the cliffs
• Sage grouse are abundant on the uplands, songbirds in the
streamside willows
• Solitude is almost guaranteed in this very remote stream
canyon
Minus
Points
• Extremely rugged hike that
will test one's bushwhacking and boulder-hopping skills
• Numerous stream and beaver pond crossings, so expect to
have wet boots all day
• Rattlesnakes are a possibility throughout the summer, so
caution is advised
Download
(PDF, 487 KB): Photos of Louse Canyon - North
Hike
Download
(PDF, 452 KB): Topo Map for Louse Canyon - North
Hike
Download
(PDF, 761 KB): Road Map for Louse Canyon - North
Hike
Trail
Notes
The hike
begins at Anderson Crossing, on the east side of the stream
at a parking area with a "Wilderness Boundary" marker. The
route first follows a double-track jeep trail downstream
for about 0.4 miles, where it ends at a willow thicket
against the east canyon wall. A long deep beaver pond
prevents a crossing to the west bank (unless you want to
swim), so the best route is along the rock cliff on the
east, bushwhacking downstream through tunnels in the
willows and wild roses, until you can cross the stream in
shallower water. From this point on, hikers will need to
determine their own best route down the canyon — which is
sometimes in the wet streambed, or along dry side channels
in the willows, or even climbing onto terraces above the
floodplain to get past obstacles.
Don't despair, as there is always a passable way down the
canyon, though it may take a few minutes and a few false
starts to find it. The hike seems to get easier the further
one progresses downstream, with longer stretches of dry
stream channel to walk and less bushwhacking and
boulder-hopping.
Throughout
the canyon, one is always walking beneath sheer walls of
rock, eroded into spires, palisades and cliffs by eons of
water flow. Each bend in the canyon reveals its own
surprises and charms — plus its own hiking challenges.
There is no set destination to this hike and one can walk
as far one's stamina and curiosity allow. Just beyond the 2
mile point, there is a prominent slot canyon coming in from
the south and a huge spire of rock on the east bank a few
hundred yards downstream. Look high up on this spire for
golden eagle aeries (stick nests) built on ledges in the
rock. This spire can make a good lunch and hike
destination. Return as you came.
Road
to Trailhead
On Hwy 95, about 40 miles south
of Burns Junction or 15 miles north of McDermitt, turn east
onto the Jackson Creek Road. Follow this gravel road east,
over the summit of the Strawberry Mountains, for about 15.3
miles to a major intersection. Turn right (southeast) and
follow gravel Road 6350 for about 20 miles to Anderson
Crossing at the West Little Owyhee River. With 6- or 8-ply
tires in good condition, this route should be driveable by
any passenger car. By September, Anderson Crossing will
likely be dry, allowing one to easily drive across the
riverbed to the east bank.
The Jackson
Creek Road is mostly well-built and occasionally graded.
However, climbing over the Strawberry Mountains, the
roadbed is loose shale and is steep in some spots, so this
is the slowest part of the drive. The first 8 miles of this
road also passes through the area burned by the massive
Long Draw Fire in July 2012, so the landscape is barren.
Once over the mountains, the gravel road to Anderson
Crossing is also well-built and maintained for heavy
stock-hauling trucks. Even so, depending on when it was
last graded, the washboards can be fearsome and travel can
be slow.
Finally, the desert region east of the Strawberry Mountains
is one of the most remote and least-visited in Southeast
Oregon. Travelers should not leave Hwy 95 unless they are
equipped with adequate gas, water and supplies, in a sturdy
well-maintained vehicle with strong tires, and are prepared
to assume full responsibility for themselves. There is no
cell phone reception, so a satellite messenger or locator
beacon is highly recommended.
Camping Options
There are no developed
campgrounds anywhere in this remote desert region, so the
only option is dispersed camping with one's own water,
sanitation and trash removal.
For tent
campers: The best dispersed camping site is probably right
at the trailhead at Anderson Crossing. On the east side of
the stream, just north of the road, is a wide flat parking
area that is suitable for any type of camping setup. Late
in the summer, there is a lot of dry grass on this flat, so
be extremely careful with any campfires.
For tent trailers or small travel trailers: If your small
camping trailer is rugged, has excellent tires, and is
prepared for lengthy washboard roads, it's possible to haul
it all the way to Anderson Crossing and camp at the
trailhead. However, before driving the last half mile down
to the river crossing, it's smart to walk down first and
check the condition of the riverbed — as there's not much
room to turn a trailer around on the west bank.
Another option, if you don't want to haul your small
trailer all the way to Anderson Crossing, is to find a
dispersed camp site in the desert along Road 6350 and
"commute" to the Louse Canyon day hikes. There's a few side
roads and pullouts enroute to Anderson Crossing that, if
dry, will provide a decent campsite in the desert
sagebrush.
Agency Contact: Vale BLM District, (541)
473-3144
DISCLAIMER:
Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this
information, but the authors do not guarantee that it is
either current or correct. The reader assumes full
responsibility for any use of this information, and is
encouraged to contact local federal land agencies to
inquire about current conditions before
traveling.
Page
last updated: 1/18/13