The Long Way
Crook County
A swift river flows past a grassy bank and a rocky hill.
Plate I. River canyon, South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway. From blm.gov
South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway.
Plate II. South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Izee Falls along the South Fork Byway.
Plate III. Izee Falls along the South Fork Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
River canyon along South Fork John Day River Byway.
Plate IV. River canyon along South Fork John Day River Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
River canyon along South Fork John Day Byway.
Plate V. River canyon along South Fork John Day Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Canyon landscape along South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway.
Plate VI. Canyon landscape along South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway. Photograph by Bureau of Land Management Oregon and Washington from Portland, America, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

South Fork John Day River Back Country Byway

Dayville, Crook County, Oregon. Back country byway.

Details

Map. Dayville, Crook County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
3050 NE 3rd Street, Prineville, Dayville, OR 97754. Directions
Getting there
From Dayville, Oregon: Turn south on South Fork Road; the back country byway begins here.
Fees
No Fees.
Access
This high-standard gravel road is suitable for most passenger vehicles; however, know that some stretches of this road are single-vehicle width.
Phone
541-416-6700
Website
blm.gov
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management, Prineville District Office.

This gravelled Back Country Byway parallels the Wild and Scenic South Fork John Day River through its incised canyon for a distance of 50 miles from its northern terminus at Dayville to the northern border of Malheur National Forest to the south.

Notable Events

  1. 1826Hudson's Bay Company fur-trapping expeditions explored sections of the South Fork as early as January 1826. oregonencyclopedia.org
  2. 1864First Oregon Cavalry volunteers established temporary Camp Lincoln on the lower South Fork and used the canyon to reach the headwaters and Harney Valley. oregonencyclopedia.org
  3. 1865Volunteers attacked a Northern Paiute camp near present-day Izee in an action called Garber's Fight after an army sergeant killed there. oregonencyclopedia.org
  4. 1972Oregon's fish and wildlife department established the wildlife area around the lower river to protect winter range and riparian habitat. oregonencyclopedia.org
  5. 1984The Oregon Wilderness Act created the 13,400-acre Black Canyon Wilderness on the west side of the river. oregonencyclopedia.org
  6. 1988The Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act designated 47 miles of the South Fork as wild and scenic. oregonencyclopedia.org
  7. 1989The two-room Izee school closed to students in 1989 and is now used for community functions. blm.gov
  8. The private Rockpile Ranch was established in the late nineteenth century and remains in operation. blm.gov

People

  • John Day, Namesake of the South Fork John Day River and byway (1812).
  • Mark O. Hatfield, Oregon senator who sponsored the Wild and Scenic Rivers act designating the South Fork (1988).

Sources

  1. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/68919
  2. blm.gov/visit/south-fork-john-day-river-back-country-byway
  3. blm.gov/visit/south-fork-john-day-wild-and-scenic-river
  4. fws.gov/rivers/river/john-day-south-fork
  5. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/south-fork-john-day-river