Explore Oregon Recreation: Riddle Brothers Historic Ranch

Welcome to Riddle Brothers Ranch -- part of the historic context of pioneer settlement and the development of the livestock industry in the American West.
Walter, Frederick, and Benjamin Riddle were three bachelor brothers who secured home sites and raised livestock in and around the southeast Oregon ranch on the west flank of Steens Mountain.
Migrating from western Oregon, they settled in the early 1900s and built their ranch by gaining control of water in the area. In the late 1950s the Riddle brothers sold their ranch holding to Rex Clemens. In 1986 BLM purchased the property from Clemens and has since managed the ranch for its historic values.
Riddle Brothers Ranch was part of Oregon's last frontier. It is a uniquely preserved complex of buildings which give testimony to ranch life and the living conditions of the time.
Know Before You Go: Driving access into the ranch is generally permitted Wednesday through Sunday, from mid-June through October. High clearance, four-wheel drive vehicles are recommended. Access by foot, bicycle, or horseback is permitted anytime.
Amenities are few. A vault restroom is available, but drinking water, overnight use areas, cell phone service and other conveniences are not.
Avoid disturbing historical sites or artifacts. Leave these remnants of the past for others to enjoy.
From Bums, take State Highway 78 southeast for approximately 2 miles. Turn right onto State Highway 205 and travel south for 60 miles to Frenchglen. Continue on 205 through the town of Frenchglen and up "P" Hill, travel approximately 10 miles, then turn left on the Steens Mountain Loop Road south entrance. The turn-off to Riddle Brothers is approximately 20 miles from Highway 205.
Contact:
Burns District Bureau of Land Management 28910 Hwy 20 West
Hines, OR 97738
541-573-4400
www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns
Video, captured in 2015, produced by Larry Moore, BLM
More photos and video clips on Flickr: www.flickr.com...