Nearest city Lakeview Phone +1 541-947-2731 | Area 1,095 km² Established 1936 | |
 | ||
Location Lake County, Oregon, USA Governing body U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Website Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge Address 38782 Hart mountain Rd, Plush, OR, United States Management United States Fish and Wildlife Service Similar Hart Mountain Enterprises, Hart Mountain OR, Abert RV Park, Hunter's RV & Gas, Willow Spring Guest Ra | ||
Hart mountain national antelope refuge oregon
Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge on Hart Mountain in southeastern Oregon, which protects more than 422 square miles (1,090 km2) and more than 300 species of wildlife, including pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule deer, sage grouse, and Great Basin redband trout. The refuge, created in 1936 as a range for remnant herds of pronghorn, spans habitats ranging from high desert to shallow playa lakes, and is among the largest wildlife habitats containing no domestic livestock.
Contents
Cattle damaged wildlife habitat at hart mountain national antelope refuge
Protected statusEdit
Since its creation as an antelope reserve, management of the refuge has broadened to include conservation of all wildlife species characteristic of this high desert habitat and restoration of native ecosystems for the public's enjoyment education, and appreciation. The area's protected status has been remarked upon by former Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas:
I always feel sad leaving Hart Mountain. Yet after I travel a few hours and turn to see its great bulk against a southern sky my heart rejoices. This refuge will leave our grandsons and granddaughters an inheritance of the wilderness that no dollars could recreate. Here they will find life teeming throughout all the life zones that lead from the desert to alpine meadows.
Recreational activitiesEdit
LogisticsEdit
None of the refuge's roads are paved, and most are not passable by passenger autos. A few roads are graded, but most are dirt ruts ("jeep trails"). No services of any kind are available within the refuge, except compressed air, potable water, and a restroom at the refuge's headquarters.
The nearest fuel and grocery is in Plush, 25 miles (40 km) west, and Frenchglen, 50 miles (80 km) east. Lakeview, 65 miles (105 km) southwest, is the nearest city with basic services such as vehicle repair, lodging, and medical care. Accommodations are available in Frenchglen.
WildlifeEdit
The diverse habitat supports diverse wildlife: There are 239 bird species, 42 species of mammal, and at least eight species of reptile, including rattlesnake, bull Snake, Eastern Yellowbelly Racer, and various lizards.
Residents active year round include deer, bobcat, coyote, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, marmot, squirrel, and rabbit. Most birds are seasonal. Golden eagle, sandhill crane, colorful Sage Grouse, and numerous migratory species.
The pronghorn are North America's fastest land animal, capable of speeds up to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h), run free across the upland sagebrush at the east side. Bighorn sheep prefer the rocky cliffs of the refuge's west side. Numerous shallow lakes, grassy spring fed meadows attract the greatest variety of species.
Bighorn sheep were eliminated by disease and hunting in this area by 1915. Reintroduction began in 1954 from British Columbia stock. There are now approximately 300 bighorn sheep.