ALVORD DESERT, OR

Description

Located in southeastern Oregon, the Alvord Desert is a dry lake bed (playa) that can be landed on in the summer. There is no runway, but because the playa is so flat and open, airplanes can be landed in any direction. Wherever you land, be sure to fly over and make sure it is clear and safe.

There are no camping facilities, but plenty of flat spots for your tent or bed roll.

A hot springs is located on the western side of the playa, near the road. It is marked by a corrugated tin shed that should be easily visible from the air. The hot springs is on private property, but public use has historically been tolerated. Land southeast of hot springs and the road leads through stone gates up to springs - about a mile.

Runway

Surface

DIRT

Details

Facility ID

No ID 007
Elevation

4000
CTAF

122.9

Gallery

Location

Lat: 42.50000000000 , Long: -118.45000000000 - OREGON, USA

Categories

Off-Airport

Tags

Region

Ownership

Public

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Shortfield Playlist

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Alvord 2021

An airplane camping trip to the Alvord Desert in SE Oregon in June of 2021
STOL, Desert Flying, Backcountry flying, Alvord, Maule,
Alvord Desert Flying Adventure

Join Kenton and me as we check off a long-awaited bucket list adventure: flying our plane into the Alvord Desert in Southeastern Oregon.

The Alvord is a vast, dry lakebed famous as the site where Jesse Combs set the land speed record in 2019. In summer, its hardened surface transforms into a playground where people land planes, drive trucks, and experience a slice of raw desert freedom. The landscape feels a lot like Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, with a definite Burning Man vibe.

Our journey wasn’t without challenges—thick smoke and haze forced us to overnight in Bend, Oregon before making it into the desert. But once there, standing in that endless expanse with Kenton made it all worthwhile.

This was more than just a flying trip—it was about exploration, connection, and creating lasting memories together.

👉 Watch as we land, explore, and soak in the unique beauty of this remote corner of Oregon.

#AlvordDesert #FlyingAdventure #BackcountryFlying #oregon
Flying high: Glider footage from above Alvord Desert, Steens Mountain

“Go-go-go, go-go-go,” says the pilot, and a moment later the glider is rolling fast on the Alvord Desert playa.

Seconds after that it is airborne and the amazing eastern Oregon views begin.

Watch as the glider turns towards the east side of Steens Mountain and brace for the perfect landing!

Video captured summer 2015 by Mandy DeCroo and Tara Thissell, BLM, with the Willamette Valley Soaring Club.

Video produced by Toshio Suzuki, BLM

More photos & videos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmoregon/sets/72157648825310290
Alvord Desert Flying Adventure - Teaser

Join Kenton and me as we check off a long-awaited bucket list adventure: flying our plane into the Alvord Desert in Southeastern Oregon.

The Alvord is a vast, dry lakebed famous as the site where Jesse Combs set the land speed record in 2019. In summer, its hardened surface transforms into a playground where people land planes, drive trucks, and experience a slice of raw desert freedom. The landscape feels a lot like Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, with a definite Burning Man vibe.

Our journey wasn’t without challenges—thick smoke and haze forced us to overnight in Bend, Oregon before making it into the desert. But once there, standing in that endless expanse with Kenton made it all worthwhile.

This was more than just a flying trip—it was about exploration, connection, and creating lasting memories together.

👉 Watch as we land, explore, and soak in the unique beauty of this remote corner of Oregon.

#AlvordDesert #FlyingAdventure #BackcountryFlying #oregon
Flight to Alvord Desert, Oregon

Landing was not actually ruff. Just wifey holding camera not steadily.
FATPNW - Alvord Desert Flyout 2015

August 14-16, 2015 -- 12 planes from the Flights Above the Pacific NorthWest (FATPNW) and Pacific Northwest Flying groups converged on the Alvord Desert in SE Orgeon to camp on the playa and watch the Perseid Meteor shower.

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YouTube Search

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Landsailing Oregon’s Alvord Desert | Oregon Field Guide

Think you need water to sail? These innovators have found a way to use the wind to cast off across the waterless Alvord desert, and the experience is both sublime and exciting.

The Alvord desert is the perfect desert playground for landsailers, with miles of uninterrupted playa and desert scenery and solitude that is unmatched in the Northwest.

For more stories like this https://www.opb.org/show/oregonfieldguide/ and https://www.opb.org/science_environment/

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#Landsail #landsailing #oregonfieldguide #OPB #Oregon #PacificNorthWest
Alvord Desert

Over the Steen mountain ridge
Oregon Outback IV - Alvord Desert

The last trip of the year out to the Alvord Desert. Landed in Fields again and camped on the playa. I did a mountain bike ride up to some of the red rock sub-summits of Steens. Pretty nice up there this time of year.
Broken Plane in the Alvord Desert

We planned for a nice, relaxing day to fly to the Alvord Desert Playa. Then disaster struck! Ok, it wasn't that bad, but certainly not how we planned to spend the day. 4 Vans RV experimental planes. 1 flat tire. 1,000,000,000 bees. And one good time had by all.
ICP Savannah landing @ camp in the Alvord Desert!

Landing on the playa! Landed a little too short so it was a bit too far to taxi so a couple and touch & goes gets us down the taxiway.
Kitfox at the Alvord Desert 2013

https://projectkitfox.weebly.com Kitfox, Backcountry, tailwheel, bushwheels, big tire pilot, off airport, flying aviation LSA, light sport, experimental airplane, Katmai, PC6, PC7, Skywagon, C180, Plane crash, whirl wind propeller, airframes alaska, T3 tail spring, STOL speed VG’s, Vortex generators,
Kitfox STI, Rotax 915IS, Alford Desert, Project, Kitfox, Freedom Fox, Trent Palmer, Supercub, Highlander, Just Aircraft, Backcountry, tailwheel, bushwheels, big tire pilot, off airport, flying, aviation, LSA, light sport, experimental airplane, whirl wind propeller, airframes alaska, T3 tail spring

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Please watch: "Americub by Legend Aircraft Joins Us on the Sac River"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6MmH4LxkkI
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