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Riding Central Orgegon Horse Trails

Crooked River Grasslands Horse Camps and Trails

Located between Redmond and Madras, the Crooked River Grasslands cover more than 111,500 acres, or about 174 square miles. The terrain is rolling hills punctuated by volcanic buttes and river gorges. As you might expect from the name, the grasslands vegetation is primarily bunchgrass, rabbit brush, bitterbrush, junipers, and sagebrush. Because of its low elevation, it’s possible to go horseback riding in the grasslands later in the winter and earlier in the spring than in many other Central Oregon areas.

Cyrus Horse Camp: Located midway between Redmond, Madras, and Prineville, Cyrus Horse Camp provides easy access to many of the Grasslands trails. Alder Springs Road Trail: This is a good low-elevation winter ride, with views of Haystack and Juniper buttes to the east and Black Butte and Mt. Jefferson to the west.
	Cole Loop Trail: The Cole Loop trail is part of the Ridge Rider endurance trail, so many riders use it for long conditioning rides. If you aren’t up for a 25-miler, you can still enjoy the almost year-round riding that Cole Loop offers by riding it in segments. Gray Butte Trail: This trail circles the north side of Gray Butte and then traverses several steep buttes to reach the northeastern edge of Smith Rock State Park. There are interesting rock outcroppings as you near Smith Rock, and in spring there is a huge variety of wildflowers.
Henderson Flat Trail: The irony of the Henderson Flat portion of the Ridge Rider trail system is that it’s anything but flat. Obviously designed to test the mettle of the endurance riders who ride Cole Loop, this challenging trail charges straight up and plunges straight down the hills, creating one of the steepest horse trails in Central Oregon. Skull Hollow Loop Trail: This well-maintained trail provides excellent views from the flanks of Gray Butte. The trail is accessible about 10 months of the year, and in winter much of the distance is protected from the wind.
	Tam-a-lau Trail: Tam-a-lau is a Native American word meaning “place of big rocks on the ground.” This certainly describes the peninsula that lies between the steep gorges of the Deschutes and Crooked rivers. The terrain is generally flat, with frequent rock outcroppings. The trail follows the edges of the gorges, providing spectacular views of the canyon cliffs and the rivers and Lake Billy Chinook 700 feet below. Warner Loop Trail: Warner Loop is the northern part of the Ridge Rider endurance trail. Most of the loop is on sagebrush flats that provide views of Gray Butte, Grizzly Mountain, and Haystack Butte.

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