Note: This is not the Little Blitzen Gorge Hike.
Blitzen River
6/26/2020: This is a very pleasant, very easy trail. It begins at the south end of Page Springs Campground near Frenchglen. Forest smells, quiet, trickling river, songbirds, and wildflowers, all nestled between low canyon walls make for a satisfying walk. Watch for rattlers. We saw some fishermen who had seen several snakes. We didn’t see the first one…dang it!
After the hike we drove to the summit of Steens and saw Kiger Gorge. Absolutely incredible!
Marg’s Notes: Blitzen River Hike & Summit of Steens
Alvord Desert from Steens Summit
At 9:07 we hit the trail. It was easy to get to because it is at the end of the campground. We hiked in 2.5 miles along the River and up an overlook trail. A great hike! Saw ~5 people fishing. One group had see a lot of snakes. We saw none. There were quite a few butterflies! We sat at the end by the river & had some water! It was pretty warm. Then we hiked back. Had a snack/lunch at the campsite. After that we got in the car and headed up Steens Mountain. Explored several campsites and stopped at the canyon overlook. Beautiful! I started to get a headache. We stopped at a viewpoint at 9,600 ft! drove almost all the way to the summit. There was a ¼ mile trail, but I didn’t feel well. On the way back we stopped in Frenchglen for gas & Diet Pepsi. Back to camp for Happy Hour!
Chicken noodle stuff for dinner!