We had the pleasure of visiting Shirk Ranch this spring. Shirk Ranch is a historic ranch located in the Guano Valley near the small town of Adel, Oregon. The ranch was first Homesteaded in 1881 and was purchased by David L. Shirk in 1883.
David L. Shirk operated his ranch on the property until 1914. The property went through a few exchanges and was eventually acquired by the US Government in the year 1942. The ranch is now managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
We had fun walking through the abandoned house, barn, and all the other buildings. It was fun to imagine what it must have been like to homestead there 100 years ago. There are still a lot of items left to see on the property and beautiful views any direction you point your camera!
I highly recommend this visit. Please remember to be kind to this, and all other, pieces of living American history. It is a protected historic site, so remember to take only memories and pictures, and as always, tread lightly. Items on the property need to be left for others to enjoy (though we did remove some garbage left by other recent visitors). Also, keep in mind that this is not a developed recreation site so there are no restrooms or trash collection, so plan accordingly.
We headed out to explore the surrounding countryside and discovered that once things dry out a bit more, there would be a lot of roads to explore. There is a scenic reservoir, nature area, and you can even take some dirt roads into the back side of Hart Mountain. This would make for a wonderful trip, but it was too early in the season for us to make it very far. They were very muddy in sections and the snow level was still too low in elevation. We hope to go back this summer and make the loop.
We were reminded of a one of the most important rules of adventuring, especially in the Oregon Outback:
If at all possible you should make sure someone knows your plans and when to expect you back. This is a remote area with little to no cell service, which is absolutely a large part of the fun, but not somewhere you want to get stuck. Being prepared is always a priority in this area.
I hope you take some time and make a trip out to Shirk Ranch! Check out Doherty Slide while you’re there and eat at the historic restaurant in Adel. There is plenty to see in this area! If you are planning to visit and want more ideas feel free to comment or send us a message and we will be happy to share some ideas!
Happy Adventuring,
Stephanie
Check out wikipedia for more information about Shirk Ranch. Driving directions coming soon. We used Google Maps and made it safely but we had a clear idea of where we were heading and what to expect.
Exploring the Oregon Outback 