At 8,017 feet, Warner Peak is the highest point in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, home to Pronghorns, Bighorns, and Bullhorns. This high desert peak is also ranked 87th in Oregon's top 100 peaks and 60th in Oregon's Most Prominent Peaks.
Hart Mountain:
Hart Mountain is a fault-block mountain and refuge area for Pronghorn antelope, the fastest land animal in North America. And with speeds in excess of 60 mph, they're also the second fastest mammal in the world, tailing behind its hungrier nemesis, the African cheetah. Here's your chance to run with antelope, plus see an incredible landscape that begs a much slower exploration while you're here.
Directions:
From Plush, Oregon, it's 25 miles to the trailhead at Hot Springs Campground. That's right. This route begins and ends at a wild hot spring! Located in the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, this campground is free and has signs pointing the way when approaching it. When entering the complex, pass a spur road on the right which leads to the soaking pools and a white alkali flat that will be visible from the summit. To gain the trailhead, continue through the campground, going right at a fork met just after passing the info sign. At the far end of the campground is a seasonal gate, trailhead parking, and sign marking Barnhardy Road. The first part of the route is open to (ATV) traffic from Aug 1st to Dec 1st. Continue on dirt Barnhardy Road to a second sign atop a high saddle, at a junction with Skyline Road, another ATV track. From the junction, travel cross-country to the summit. From the top, a massive chunk of Oregon, California, and Nevada can be seen - but with a hot spring waiting at the finish line, who has time for that?
This route travels from Hot Springs Campground to the summit of Warner Peak, and back. No permits or fees are required.
