Malheur County

The southeastern corner of Oregon is a paradise for rock hounds and nature lovers alike. Steens Mountain, a basalt fault block peak, rises like a colossal sentinel above the Alvord Desert. The Owyhee River Canyon’s rugged vastness is grand, without the crowds and tour buses, and is a perfect setting for whitewater rafting. Arock, another unincorporated community of similarly diminutive stature boasts a boulder marked with intriguing Native American petroglyphs (as well as a fairly unimaginative name).

But the Pillars of Rome certainly take the prize for “best excuse to stray from the Idaho-Oregon-Nevada Highway”. Standing 100 feet tall and stretching for five miles, these fossil-laden clay cliffs tower above the surrounding landscape and once unsurprisingly served as a landmark for stagecoach travelers on the Oregon Trail. It was a homesteader, William F. Stine, who in the early 20th century remarked the bluffs’ likeness to the ruins of Roman temples.

Owyhee (oh -WHY- hee) Reservoir or Owyhee Lake is a reservoir on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon. Located in far Eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, the reservoir is Oregon's longest at 52 miles (84 km). The name of the lake is from the older spelling of "Hawaii." It was named for three Hawaiian trappers, in the employ of the North West Company, who were sent to explore the uncharted river. They failed to return to the rendezvous near the Boise River and were never seen again. Due to this, the lake and its region were named "Owyhee.

The southeastern corner of Oregon is a paradise for rock hounds and nature lovers alike. Steens Mountain, a basalt fault block peak, rises like a colossal sentinel above the Alvord Desert. The Owyhee River Canyon’s rugged vastness is grand, without the crowds and tour buses, and is a perfect setting for whitewater rafting. Arock, another unincorporated community of similarly diminutive stature boasts a boulder marked with intriguing Native American petroglyphs (as well as a fairly unimaginative name).

But the Pillars of Rome certainly take the prize for “best excuse to stray from the Idaho-Oregon-Nevada Highway”. Standing 100 feet tall and stretching for five miles, these fossil-laden clay cliffs tower above the surrounding landscape and once unsurprisingly served as a landmark for stagecoach travelers on the Oregon Trail. It was a homesteader, William F. Stine, who in the early 20th century remarked the bluffs’ likeness to the ruins of Roman temples.

Owyhee (oh-WHY-hee) Reservoir or Owyhee Lake is a reservoir on the Owyhee River in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. Located in far Eastern Oregon near the Idaho border, the reservoir is Oregon's longest at 52 miles (84 km). The name of the lake is from the older spelling of "Hawaii." It was named for three Hawaiian trappers, in the employ of the North West Company, who were sent to explore the uncharted river. They failed to return to the rendezvous near the Boise River and were never seen again. Due to this, the lake and its region were named "Owyhee".