A number of Oregon stereotypes don’t apply to Steens Mountain, located in the southeastern corner of the state. First, it doesn’t support a thick conifer forest, apparently because it’s so remote it was never seeded after the glacial retreat. Second, it’s in the “outback” east of the Cascades, popularly supposed to be the unattractive part of the state. Finally, although the mountain is made of layers of volcanic rock, it’s not a volcano, unlike the famous peaks in the Cascades.

Steens Mountain is a tilted fault block, with a gentle western slope that drops off abruptly some 3,000 feet from the crest to a closed dry basin that includes the Alvord Desert This is Basin and Range-type structure much more characteristic of Nevada. 

It nonetheless is a rewarding area, even though you might have trouble remembering you’re in Oregon. Not only are there sweeping views from the crest, but there are several large canyons of glacial origin and even a number of alpine lakes. The canyons, carved into layers of basalt lava flows, appear strikingly different from the glacial landforms found in the Cascade volcanos, or in granitic terrain such as in Yosemite. Hiking trails abound, with much of the area designated wilderness. One popular trail goes to Wildhorse Lake in one of the glacial canyons.