Oregon · Hiking

Dry River Trail

Dry River TrailPhoto: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
8.7 mi
one way
132 ft
climb
3,584 ft
high point
Point to point
route
Apr–Oct
best months

The Dry River Trail is an 8.7-mile moderate hike in Oregon's Oregon Badlands Wilderness, within the Bureau of Land Management's Prineville Deschutes Field Office. It runs from a starting point at about 3,581 feet to a high point of about 3,584 feet, with the route as a whole gaining about 132 feet and losing about 204 feet. The trail is a point-to-point route, not a loop, and the steepest stretch comes around the 4-mile mark at a grade of about 9 percent. The trail is suited to horses, and bikes are not allowed. Plan for about three hours on foot. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Bend show July highs around 84°F with lows near 49°F and only about two wet days that month. Winter brings highs in the low 40s and a few snow days in December and January. The Badlands Rock Trail starts just 0.3 miles away, and the Escape from Moscow and Parkway hikes are each about 1.2 miles off. Climbers can find the Castle area about 2.5 miles from the trail.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Apr–Oct

    Best time to visit Dry River Trail

    Best months: April–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      43° / 25°

      9 wet · 4 snow

    2. Feb

      46° / 24°

      7 wet · 3 snow

    3. Mar

      52° / 28°

      6 wet · 1 snow

    4. Apr

      58° / 31°

      6 wet · 1 snow

    5. May

      66° / 37°

      5 wet

    6. Jun

      74° / 42°

      4 wet

    7. Jul

      84° / 49°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      83° / 48°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      76° / 41°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      63° / 34°

      4 wet

    11. Nov

      49° / 28°

      7 wet · 2 snow

    12. Dec

      41° / 23°

      8 wet · 4 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bend, OR, 15.1 mi away at 3,660 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Escape from MoscowPhoto: Sapphireblue, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Escape from Moscow

~2 min drive

1.48-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 683 ft gain.

Mazama Ash TrailPhoto: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Mazama Ash Trail

~8 min drive

Out-and-back volcanic terrain hike in Oregon's geothermal landscape.

Tumulus TrailPhoto: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Tumulus Trail

~8 min drive

Out-and-back Oregon trail featuring a notable natural or cultural landmark.

Sand Lily TrailPhoto: Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sand Lily Trail

~8 min drive

Out-and-back Oregon trail featuring sand lilies and high-desert wildflowers.

ParkwayPhoto: Sapphireblue, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Parkway

~2 min drive

4.27-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,011 ft elevation gain.

HIKE

Oregon Desert Trail

~8 min drive

Remote 15.5-mile point-to-point desert trek across Oregon's high sagebrush country.

HIKE

Badlands Rock Trail

Next door

Out-and-back badlands hike with dramatic rock formations and desert views.

HIKE

Flatiron Rock Trail

~3 min drive

Out-and-back hike to a scenic rock outcrop with panoramic views.

HIKE

Arnold Ice Cave

~19 min drive

Arnold Ice Cave is a 28.95-mile hike in Oregon with 1,758 feet of elevation gain.

HIKE

Homestead Trail

~3 min drive

Out-and-back forest trail through Oregon's scenic woodlands with historical homestead heritage.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors