Leslie Gulch

 

Leslie Gulch is a canyon in Malheur County, Oregon. It sits at the end of a 15 mile long dirt road, and is best known for its towering and colorful geological rock formations. The bulk of these formations are made up of consolidated volcanic ash that erupted from the Mahogany Mountain caldera (a large volcanic depression which encompasses Leslie Gulch) in a series of violent explosions about 15.5 million years ago.

 

 

In 1882, a cattle rancher, Hiram E. Leslie, was struck by lightning while working in what was then known as Dugout Gulch; thus, the area was renamed Leslie Gulch. The original Leslie Gulch Canyon Road long served as a wagon and mail route between Rockville and Watson.

 

 

Also at the end of the road is the Owyhee Reservoir or Owyhee Lake (Owyhee - rhymes with Hawaii), and Slocum Creek Campground. The campground has 12 pull up camp sites with picnic tables and awnings for shade. Note there is no shade anywhere and in the summer it gets very hot. When I was here, there was also no water in the lake unfortunately. When doing research about Leslie Gulch I read time after time warning to be prepared for ticks, rattlesnakes, and extreme weather conditions. Luckily I saw no rattlesnakes or ticks, but the flies were insane swarms. I initially planned on camping at Slocum Creek Campground but after parking in a camp spot and opening my door, literally over a hundred flies swarmed into my car. They were everywhere. It was not something I could handle for the next 12 hours. (The flies were so bad I drove west on the highway with my windows down and after hundreds of miles, I still have about 10 in my car).

 

 Pictured above: Owyhee Reservoir

 

Unfortunately I didn't get to see any bighorn sheep. In 1965, 17 California bighorn sheep were reintroduced into Leslie Gulch. The herd has expanded to over 200 animals. Mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk are also found in the area. Coyotes, bobcats, bats, and many reptiles, including rattlesnakes, also live in Leslie Gulch.

 

Sign above reads: "Bighorn Sheep. California bighorn sheep (Ovis Canadensis Californiana) were common residents along the Owyhee River and its tributaries prior to the arrival of settlers. During the next several decades the numbers of big horn sheep declined due to the excessive hunting, competition from livestock for forage, and scabies contracted from domestic sheep. The last remnants of California bighorn sheep along the Owyhee disappeared early this century. In 1965 The Bureau of Land Management and The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife cooperatively reintroduced 17 California bighorn sheep here in Leslie Gulch. There were six rams, eight ewes, and three lambs. By 1980 the herd has increased to about 100 animals and its territory has expanded several miles to the north and south. Opportunities to observe bighorn sheep are best during early morning and late evening hours when they are feeding and drinking."