Lucky #12: Group Size Limits in Wilderness Standards
Maybe it's just me, but when a colleague that has been working in the industry longer than I have tells me a piece of information, I...
Upcoming Events
Interested in getting out into the Owyhee with us, or wondering what we have on the docket lately? Chances are we have a great event that’s just right for you. Find information about our upcoming outdoor events by clicking on the cards below.
In case you haven’t already, join our mailing list to receive our monthly newsletter! You’ll be the first to know about trip registration, and you’ll get to hear about the latest Owyhee-related events and issues.
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Owyhee Hiking Club: Leslie Gulch
Wednesday, May 25 @ 10 AM–3 PM
Watchable Wildlife Area
Predicted difficulty: Easy to moderate
Friends of the Owyhee is teaming up with the Ontario Recreation District to offer a new outdoor initiative: Owyhee Hiking Club! Everyone (age 12+) is welcome, regardless of level of experience. We welcome beginners, experts, and everyone in between! All you need is a solid pair of walking or hiking shoes, a backpack, and a good attitude!
The majority of our hikes will take place in either the Lower Owyhee Canyon, though sometimes we will go to Leslie Gulch. Though we will have a route* in mind, we will take stock of the experience level of those joining us and accommodate accordingly. If you'd like to come hike with us, don't let the predicted level of difficulty deter you!
*Please keep in mind that the majority of the hikes will not be on designated trails. On public lands like the Owyhee, it's up to you to choose your own adventure!
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Orienteering 101: Class 1
Tuesday, May 31 @ 7–9 PM MDT
Friends of the Owyhee office
Great for all ages
In this two-hour introductory class, we will cover the basics of using a navigation compass to accurately navigate. Then, come test your newly acquired skills at our two-hour evening “Map and Compass Test Course” in the Lower Owyhee Canyon. Get the practical experience you need to confidently navigate with nothing more than a compass and a map!
This class is appropriate for ages 12+ and anyone that would like more confidence in navigation. The program is designed for you to take one class and one practicum.You must take an evening class to participate in the practicum. We will meet in the open room across from the Friends of the Owyhee office at 790 SW 3rd Ave in Ontario, OR (Aquatic Center west entrance).
Many thanks to our partner, Ontario Recreation District.
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Owyhee Hiking Club: Lower Owyhee Walk
Wednesday, June 1 @ 10 AM–1 PM
Owyhee Dam Park
Difficulty: Easy
Friends of the Owyhee is teaming up with the Ontario Recreation District to offer a new outdoor initiative: Owyhee Hiking Club! Everyone (age 12+) is welcome, regardless of level of experience. We welcome beginners, experts, and everyone in between! All you need is a solid pair of walking or hiking shoes, a backpack, and a good attitude!
The majority of our hikes will take place in either the Lower Owyhee Canyon, though sometimes we will go to Leslie Gulch. Though we will have a route* in mind, we will take stock of the experience level of those joining us and accommodate accordingly. If you'd like to come hike with us, don't let the predicted level of difficulty deter you!
*Please keep in mind that the majority of the hikes will not be on designated trails. On public lands like the Owyhee, it's up to you to choose your own adventure!
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Owyhee Science Field Camp
Monday–Thursday, June 6–9
Slocum Creek Campground @ Leslie Gulch
Parent-supported campout, ages 8+
For some young minds, science may be exciting in the classroom, but it’s so much more when it’s out in the field. This short field camp can give aspiring scientists a taste for the scientific process in real-time: making observations, forming hypotheses, collecting data in the field, and interpreting those data. While we are still taking COVID-19 precautions, this camp opportunity is parent-supported—parents or guardians provide camp and meals, while we provide the science education and activities.
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Owyhee Hiking Club: TBA
Wednesday, June 8 @ 10 AM–3 PM
Watchable Wildlife Area
Difficulty: Moderate to difficult
Friends of the Owyhee is teaming up with the Ontario Recreation District to offer a new outdoor initiative: Owyhee Hiking Club! Everyone (age 12+) is welcome, regardless of level of experience. We welcome beginners, experts, and everyone in between! All you need is a solid pair of walking or hiking shoes, a backpack, and a good attitude!
The majority of our hikes will take place in either the Lower Owyhee Canyon, though sometimes we will go to Leslie Gulch. Though we will have a route* in mind, we will take stock of the experience level of those joining us and accommodate accordingly. If you'd like to come hike with us, don't let the predicted level of difficulty deter you!
*Please keep in mind that the majority of the hikes will not be on designated trails. On public lands like the Owyhee, it's up to you to choose your own adventure!
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Owyhee Family Camp
Friday–Sunday, June 10–12
Silver City Campground
Parent-supported campout, ages 8+
Spending time in the great outdoors is an incredible experience at any age, especially when you have the chance to share that experience with loved ones. Owyhee Family Camp is designed for parents or guardians (including grandparents!) to enjoy the Owyhee with their favorite young campers. We will offer fun, family-friendly activities, like campfire storytelling, scavenger hunts, and more!
This camp will take place in Silver City, an old Idaho mining town that seems to take you back in time with its historical structures and nostalgic feel. Though its historic Catholic church and three cemeteries may make it feel like a ghost town, Silver City is home to plenty of permanent residents and is a perfect place for kids to explore.
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Orienteering 101: Class 2
Tuesday, June 14 @ 7–9 PM MDT
Friends of the Owyhee office
Great for all ages
In this two-hour introductory class, we will cover the basics of using a navigation compass to accurately navigate. Then, come test your newly acquired skills at our two-hour evening “Map and Compass Test Course” in the Lower Owyhee Canyon. Get the practical experience you need to confidently navigate with nothing more than a compass and a map!
This class is appropriate for ages 12+ and anyone that would like more confidence in navigation. The program is designed for you to take one class and one practicum.You must take an evening class to participate in the practicum. We will meet in the open room across from the Friends of the Owyhee office at 790 SW 3rd Ave in Ontario, OR (Aquatic Center west entrance).
Many thanks to our partner, Ontario Recreation District.
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Owyhee Hiking Club: Kern Basin
Wednesday, June 15 @ 10 AM–3 PM
Watchable Wildlife Area
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Friends of the Owyhee is teaming up with the Ontario Recreation District to offer a new outdoor initiative: Owyhee Hiking Club! Everyone (age 12+) is welcome, regardless of level of experience. We welcome beginners, experts, and everyone in between! All you need is a solid pair of walking or hiking shoes, a backpack, and a good attitude!
The majority of our hikes will take place in either the Lower Owyhee Canyon, though sometimes we will go to Leslie Gulch. Though we will have a route* in mind, we will take stock of the experience level of those joining us and accommodate accordingly. If you'd like to come hike with us, don't let the predicted level of difficulty deter you!
*Please keep in mind that the majority of the hikes will not be on designated trails. On public lands like the Owyhee, it's up to you to choose your own adventure!
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Owyhee Webinar: Owyhee Ice-Age Flooding
Wednesday, June 15 @ 5:30–6:30 PM MDT
Online
Great for all ages
The Owyhee Webinar series is designed to share the natural wonders of the Owyhee with folks far and wide. In this webinar, we are excited to introduce Deron Carter of Linn-Benton Community College.
During the late-Pleistocene, the Alvord and Coyote Basins in southeastern Oregon held large pluvial lakes. As these lakes rose in response to climate change, they released at least one catastrophic flood down the Crooked Creek drainage and into the Owyhee River. Geological evidence of flooding includes incision of deep canyons, scoured bedrock surfaces, and flood deposits that contain boulders up to four meters in diameter. This event, and possible earlier ones, attest to the role flooding played in the landscape evolution of the Great Basin during the ice age.
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Owyhee Geology Series: Introduction
Friday–Sunday, June 17–19
Owyhee County Museum & Library
Perfect for geology enthusiasts & rockhounds
Our popular Owyhee Geology Series is back! This year, we’ve decided to take a different approach for the bulk of our in-field geology education. We’ll be offering two trips: one shorter one for beginning geology enthusiasts, and one longer one for the seasoned adventurers that want to go on a longer geologic adventure.
On this shorter trip, we’ll start in Murphy, Idaho at the Owyhee Country Historical Museum and continue on to explore War Eagle Mountain, Jordan Craters, and Leslie Gulch.
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Orienteering 101: Practicum
Tuesday, June 24 @ 5–7 PM MDT
Watchable Wildlife Area
Great for all ages
In this two-hour introductory class, we will cover the basics of using a navigation compass to accurately navigate. Then, come test your newly acquired skills at our two-hour evening “Map and Compass Test Course” in the Lower Owyhee Canyon. Get the practical experience you need to confidently navigate with nothing more than a compass and a map!
This class is appropriate for ages 12+ and anyone that would like more confidence in navigation. The program is designed for you to take one class and one practicum.You must take an evening class to participate in the practicum. We will meet in the open room across from the Friends of the Owyhee office at 790 SW 3rd Ave in Ontario, OR (Aquatic Center west entrance).
Many thanks to our partner, Ontario Recreation District.
A Look Back at Past Events
January 2022: First Day Hike of 2022
Three of our faithful Friends braved the cold of a January morning to summit Fault Knob.
