Dry River Canyon

For half of every year the canyon below the marker belongs to the birds. Golden eagles and prairie falcons nest in it, and the Bureau of Land Management closes the Dry River Canyon Trail from February 1 to August 31; earlier orders closed the whole canyon and all public land within a quarter mile of its rim. Entering during the closure can bring a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in jail. The trailhead lies off old Highway 20 on the southeast edge of the Badlands Wilderness, and the trail opens again once the young have flown.

What the plaque says

Oregon History Dry River Canyon Water flowed across the high desert country during glacial times carving the Dry River Canyon visible beyond the marker. Near this part of Hwy 20, the canyon deepens from about 20 to 200 feet in less than half a mile. It continues northwest for two miles at depths of 300 to 400 feet before shallowing abruptly and disappearing beneath the basalt of Lava Top Butte that erupted from the north flank of Newberry Volcano. Geologic evidence suggests that the canyon cutting originated from an outburst of water escaping ancient Lake Millican that occupied a basin to the east. Subsequently, the channel deepened over hundreds of thousands of years because of multiple large floods related to glaciation and possible eruptive activity on Newberry Volcano.

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Big Obsidian Flow — 18 mi
  Oregon's youngest lava flow, a square mile of black volcanic glass and gray pumice that poured out inside Newberry's caldera about 1,300 years ago.