US Fish and Wildlife Service 

Hiking & Biking Trails 

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge

Year round hiking and biking is 

permitted only on the following 

trails and on roads open to 

motorized vehicles. No other 

Refuge lands are open to

these activities. 

Be prepared as you may 

encounter wet areas, thorny 

vegetation, mosquitoes, and 

rough ground. 

Please stay on designated 

trails and roads. Please 

observe all rules and 

regulations. 

The following activities are 

prohibited on the Refuge: 

camping, swimming, fires, 

collecting of plants, animals, 

minerals, artifacts and objects 

of antiquity. 

Hiking Trails 

Headquarters Overlook Trail

This very short hiking trail at 

Refuge Headquarters leads 

from the Visitor Center to an 

overlook below the historic fire 

tower. The overlook provides a 

view of Malheur and Harney 

Lakes. The Fire Tower is not 

open to the public. The trail is 

uphill, marked, and 

maintained. 

Buena Vista Overlook Trail

This short hiking trail leads 

from the parking area by the 

restroom to an interpretive site 

overlooking the Diamond 

Valley and the Buena Vista 

Ponds. At the top, information 

panels provide information 

about the Refuge’s wildlife 

management. The trail is 

uphill, marked, and 

maintained. 

Krumbo Reservoir

Hiking is permitted around the 

banks of Krumbo Reservoir. 

The trial is not maintained or 

marked. You may encounter 

rough and rocky terrain.

Benson Pond Trail

This 1⁄2 mile trail leads from a 

small parking area on the CPR 

along the pond and into an 

area of cottonwood trees and 

willows. The pond and trees 

attract a variety of wildlife 

species. 

Barnes Springs Footpath

This 1.8 mile (round trip) hiking 

trail leads to a former 

homestead site and travels 

along an old gravel road. The 

trail begins at a green gate on 

P Lane approximately 1/4 mile 

south of Frenchglen. The trail 

is maintained and marked. 

Loop Trail

(improvements are in progress)

The loop trail is approximately 

11 miles long and includes the 

River Trail and the East Canal 

Trail. This trail is in varying 

stages of development. Much 

of the trail is not marked and 

primitive. For more 

information, contact the 

Refuge. 

The Desert Trail

The Desert trail, part of the 

National Scenic Desert Trail, 

enters the Refuge at Page 

Springs on Steens Mountain. 

The trail is for hiking only. For 

maps and further information, 

contact the Bureau of Land 

Management at 541/573-4400. 

East Canal Trail

Hiking and biking is permitted 

on a dirt road that will take you 

along a vegetated canal. The 

trail begins at a green gate on 

P Lane across the Blitzen 

River and prior to Page 

Springs Campground. The trail 

is not marked, but maintained. 

Biking Opportunities 

Center Patrol Road (CPR)

In addition to biking on the 

East Canal Trail, the CPR 

offers 35 miles of biking on a 

dirt/gravel road that will take 

you from sagebrush to lush 

scenery. The CPR is also 

open to motorized vehicles, so 

please be cautious. 

East Canal Trail

Biking is permitted on this dirt 

road. See above for details. 
Headquarters Overlook 

Trail

Krumbo Reservoir

Buena Vista Overlook Trail

River Trail 

Barnes Springs Footpath

E. Canal Trail 

CPR

Benson Pond Trail

Malheur NWR

36391 Sodhouse Lane 

Princeton, Oregon 97721 

541/493-2612 

http://malheur.fws.gov

July 2005