Wildflower Hike, Bella Ranch

Spring is prime time for hiking in Central Oregon! Photo: Joan Amero.
Spring is prime time for hiking in Central Oregon! Photo: Joan Amero.
This outing is full.
To add your name to the wait list, click the yellow "Join wait list" button above.

Join the Deschutes Land Trust and Carol Moorehead for a wildflower hike around Bella Ranch, a conserved private ranch outside of Prineville. We'll hike along Mill Creek and enjoy scenic views of unique rock formations while learning more about the springs and wetlands the ranch protects. Then, we'll head up into the hills to search for a myriad of native wildflowers including phlox, prairie star, balsamroot, and bitterroot. Registration is required and opens 1 month prior to the event.

  • Outing Details + Route

    Hike Rating: Challenging, ~6 mile hike across uneven terrain.

    Route: This hike will start along the banks of Mill Creek and follow ranch access roads up into the hills overlooking the creek and fields. Terrain will be uneven at times.

    Elevation: This hike is challenging with ~200' of elevation gain/loss.

  • What to Bring

    Snacks/Lunch, water, sturdy hiking shoes. Dress for the weather.

  • About the Property

    Bella Ranch (formerly known as Coffer Ranch) is a large ranch in the Mill Creek valley east of Prineville, Oregon. The Land Trust worked with the owners of Coffer Ranch in 2010 to permanently protect 492 acres of this ranchland and its important wildlife habitat. Habitats found on the property provide nesting habitat for songbirds and foraging habitat for a variety of bat species. Old-growth western juniper woodlands, ponderosa pine woodlands and native bunchgrass understory, and cliffs that provide habitat for a variety of bird, bat, and mammal species.