Outback Scenic Byway
Outback Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Oregon. Within Oregon it covers roughly 170 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Outback Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Outback Scenic Byway is a 170-mile National Scenic Byway across south-central Oregon, running from La Pine south to Lakeview through some of the state's emptiest high desert. The route begins at the junction of US Highway 97 and Oregon Highway 31 south of La Pine, winding through about 30 miles of ponderosa pine forest before leaving Deschutes County, crossing the northeast corner of Klamath County, and dropping into the sagebrush expanse of Lake County. Along the way, Fort Rock rises 325 feet from the flat desert floor, its near-circular walls the eroded remnant of an ancient volcanic maar that once stood in a Pleistocene lake. Farther south, Abert Rim runs for 30 miles as a fault escarpment more than 2,000 feet high, one of the tallest exposed fault scarps in North America. As a federally designated National Scenic Byway, it's recognized for exactly this kind of stark geology, and the long distances between towns make it a drive best planned with a full tank of gas.
- La Pine to Lakeview
- 170 miles
- National Scenic Byway
- Fort Rock (325 ft)
- Abert Rim fault escarpment
- Lake County high desert
Designated for its natural qualities
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Places to stop along Outback Scenic Byway
Fort Rock State Natural Area
A ring of volcanic tuff rising 325 feet from the desert floor like a fortress; nearby Fort Rock Cave yielded sandals more than 9,000 years old.
Fort Rock Homestead Village Museum
Homestead cabins, a church, and a one-room school gathered from around the valley, telling of the 1910s dry-farming boom and bust.
Picture Rock Pass
A 4,830-foot pass where a short walk leads to Native petroglyphs, with Summer Lake shimmering in the basin below.
Summer Lake
A shallow alkaline lake beneath Winter Ridge, whose wildlife area marshes are a major stop for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds.
Abert Rim
A fault scarp rising about 2,500 feet above Lake Abert and running for some 30 miles, one of the largest exposed faults in North America.
Old Perpetual
Oregon's only continuously erupting geyser, at a hot springs resort just north of Lakeview.
Where to Stay along Outback Scenic Byway
4 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Outback Scenic Byway.
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What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.