PRINEVILLE

If you’re visiting Prineville Oregon, know this—it’s not about the city limits. It’s about the dirt roads that fan out like spider legs into the high desert. The spots on this list aren’t technically in Prineville, but let’s be honest: nothing out here really is. Prineville is just your launchpad to all of it. This region is raw, wild, and weirdly quiet.

Post

Congratulations—you’ve officially veered off the tourist trail and into the middle of nowhere. Literally. Post is the geographic center of Oregon, and it’s surrounded by sagebrush, secrets, and just enough gravel roads to keep things interesting. Out here, the skies are massive, the crowds are nonexistent, and the ground sparkles if you know where to look. Whether you’re camping, rockhounding, or just pretending to be a desert hermit with great taste, this high desert outpost has its own kind of wild charm.

Camping

We thought we found the perfect dispersed campground in the Maury Mountains area of the Ochoco National Forest. Google Maps said yes. Reality said absolutely not. After four hours of driving, we rolled in after dark and realized the forest had burned down—recently enough that Google Maps still thinks it’s alive. Our site, Wiley Flat was closed. As we pulled off the road to read the closure sign, a light appeared, moving through the trees like someone walking toward us at 11 p.m. down a closed road. But the light wasn’t bright enough to light up the ground, or the person. Classic horror movie behavior. We bailed immediately, only to realize we had to drive back past whatever that was. Except when we did—there was no one. No light. No footprints. Just empty, blackened woods. We spent the next hour “exploring” for a patch of forest that hadn’t been charred to ash and didn’t come with potential skinwalker vibes.

Don’t hate on my hot dog that’s how I like ’em.

Maury Moss Agate Beds – You can park at the lot and walk—or, if you’re lazy, heat-stroking, or just in the mood for a little 4×4 shuffle, you can keep driving past the lot straight down to the dig site. Naturally, we chose the bumpy goat trail adventure. Along the way, we passed a vehicle that looked extremely… lived in. Then we looped all the way back toward the main road, feeling pretty smug about our navigation skills. That loop? Would’ve been perfect—if the gate at the end wasn’t locked. You’ll pass that gate on the right before the turnoff to the agate beds, but we didn’t notice it on the way in.

Congleton Hollow – We ventured here on our second day of camping looking for rocks—and left with a strong desire to bathe in bleach. It was brutally hot, so we detoured to the West Fork of the Crooked River to cool off. All the riverside campsites were full, of course. We planned to follow the road farther downriver, but Google Maps once again lied. A locked gate blocked access, and the river was unreachable beyond that. Still, the water we could reach was clear and surprisingly nice to stand in. Kody rinsed the dog, who had achieved peak filth. And then we found it. My first leech. Ever. Immediate exit. Hard nope. On the drive out, we passed an open patch and watched a hawk take off with a very alive, very large snake dangling from its talons. We tried to follow it, but the hawk vanished into the shrubby trees with its horrified noodle. Nature: undefeated.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument- Where Dignity Goes to Die

Painted Cove Trail – I only saved Painted Cove Trail on Google Maps, so I had zero idea what else was out there, with zero cell service. We went at the end of May, when camping in the burnt forest, and this place was HOT. Like, full-sun-desert-floor-radiating-up-into-your-soul hot. The Painted Cove trail has a tiny parking lot that was overflowing, and—surprise—no bathrooms at the trailhead.

I had to pee. Urgently. We drove past the main turnoff, deeper down the dirt road. No cars in sight. Seemed safe enough. I can pop a squat in under 15 seconds. Kody said he had my six. He did not.

A car rounded the corner mid-squat and got a clear view of my entire regrettable situation. I popped up like a startled prairie dog while Kody, oblivious and mid-snack, just stared at me like I interrupted his moment.

But karma’s a squatting circle. The next day we drove up on someone else mid-pee, fully exposed, completely unbothered. Didn’t even try to stand. The third person in their car looked just as confused as we were. And somehow, that made me feel a little better about my own outdoor shame.

Trail info: 

• Distance: 0.25 miles round trip

• Elevation Gain: Less than 50 feet

• Difficulty: Easy

• Trail Type: Loop

• Surface: Boardwalk and gravel