Juniper Hills Preserve

Juniper Hills Currently Closed Due to COVID-19

Following Governor Brown's "Stay Home, Save Lives" Executive Order and wanting to help limit the spread of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to close our preserves until further notice.

What to See: Plants

Conservancy botanists have discovered 65 distinct plant communities at Juniper Hills, featuring many native bunch grass species including Thurber's needlegrass, Indian ricegrass and bluebunch wheatgrass. Endemic desert wildflowers thrive in the grasslands, such as the John Day penstemon and scabland milkvetch.

What to See: Animals

Pronghorn antelope, elk and other wildlife use Juniper Hills as a migratory corridor, and redband trout, a sensitive species, are known to frequent preserve creeks into the Crooked River. A diversity of birds nest and forage here; observers have tallied over 70 species.

Juniper Hills Preserve is closed to public access throughout the fall and winter. For more information, please contact Brooke Gray, preserve steward, at bgray@tnc.org.

Please observe the following guidelines while hiking:

• Stay on the trail. Do not climb the hills or disturb their extremely fragile surface.
• Don't collect plants, insects or other species or disturb soil, rocks, artifacts or scientific research markers.
• No dogs. Preserves harbor ground-nesting birds and other wildlife that are extremely sensitive to disturbance.
• No bicycles or motorized vehicles. Native plants and research sites are easily trampled.
• No hunting, camping or campfires.
• Please call 541-477-0151 before visiting the preserve. Feel free to visit the Painted Hills site without contacting preserve staff.  
• Please bring a bag and carry out any trash you find.