Haunted High Desert Road Trip - Eastern / Central Oregon - 2025 (vertical and horizontal pics)

During the summer I spent a week traveling from the eastern border or Oregon to Portland. During that trip I was focused on seeing the high desert of the east and the ghost towns in the central part of the state. I started off with a couple of nights in the Alvord Desert. A magical experience as this is one of the darkest locations in the lower 48 states. This place is very remote. Make sure your gas tank is filled and I would recommend high clearance on your vehicle to account for the rough roads. With this darkness I took advantage of the first day’s clear sky and worked on some astro-photography. The following day there was some weather over the desert so I’m glad I took advantage of the first night for stargazing. However, the storm over the Steens Mountain was fantastic and provided its own beauty.

From there I drove through the open high desert on the High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway (Oregon 205) and then into the central part of the state hunting ghost towns. This meant crossing a good chunk of the state on US Route 20. I went through Millican, Antelope, Shaniko, and Kent. I then proceeded deep into the countryside to visit some abandoned buildings like the Nansenes Dance Hall and the Douglas Hollow Schoolhouse.

I took a ton of photos and these are somewhat in chronological order. Hope you enjoy this road trip visual diary. 

Road Trip in Eastern / Central Oregon (vertical and horizontal pics)