Soak in the Stars in the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary

Wander With Wonder – Discovering Wow Moments Around the World or Across the Street

Explore the unique beauty of the Oregon Outback and its breathtaking Dark Sky Sanctuary for an unforgettable stargazing experience.

When I “Wander With Wonder,” I like to go to unique places off the beaten track, less traveled and tramped, offering unfamiliar slice-of-life experiences with great backstories. The Oregon Outback and Dark Sky Sanctuary are such places.

We spent four nights near Paisley, Oregon, in the “Oregon Outback.” I have lived in Oregon for almost 20 years and have never heard of this area in Southeast Oregon. It’s very removed from the mainstream, to say the least, and there is little, if any, light pollution. For this reason, the Oregon Outback in Lake County, Oregon, was declared a “Dark Sky Sanctuary” by the Dark Sky Sanctuary Association.

Stargazing in Southern Oregon’s Dark-Sky Territory

We stayed at the Summer Lakes Hot Springs Resort, a hipster, slightly gritty, and funky oasis whose owner, Duane Graham, helped support the Dark Sky designation. Duane, the owner since 1998, is a cool dude—a former hippy and real estate developer—delighted to talk about the area. We spoke for about 30 minutes before he headed off to Burning Man in the Nevada desert, about four hours south. I enjoyed speaking with him. It was a brief encounter, but we were here to soak in the stars from the hot pool and tubs, and just being in the Sanctuary is all the reason enough to make the trek.

Duane Graham’s Story

Duane Graham moved to Eugene from Virginia in 1983. He lived the hippy-dippy scene in Eugene until moving to Portland in 1988, buying and selling fixers and real estate until 2006. He had been visiting Summer Lake since 1988 and purchased the Summer Lake property in 1997 as a lifestyle investment before Oregon Outback was a thing.

He reminisces, “It’s a quiet place, and I loved it. It came up for sale, but no offers. It’s rare to be able to buy an existing business in a place like this that’s grandfathered in zoning for an artesian hot springs and resort. But it was hardly a business at the time.”

Graham wanted to cater to wanderers and seekers desiring to be off the grid. “The clientele used to be a bit different, shall we say. It was a rowdy, rough and tumble, hardscrabble place for local partying folk,” shares Graham.

Today, a much more mellow vibe exists. A divorce prompted him to reevaluate love and life, and he moved to Summer Lake in the Oregon Outback in 2006. What does the future hold for this hidden gem?

“It’s all set up and running just fine. Bigger isn’t always better, and it’s pretty comfortable right now. I may move in the direction of workshops and retreats, more of a healing place instead of a party place,” Graham explains.

He seems to be a serial entrepreneur with endless plans. His latest is to double down on the area and new Dark Sky designation and open a cafe in downtown Paisley sometime soon.

Geography

The Oregon Outback lies in the Great Basin, which stretches south from the Christmas Valley dunes in the north (about two hours southeast of Bend) to the Mojave Desert. It is sparsely populated and mostly public lands. This is a high desert, and no water flows in or out of this mind-bogglingly expansive area, which lies east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains. Precipitation falls and is contained within its watershed and never reaches an ocean. Everything is fed by underground springs and aquifers. Above ground, you’ll find rangelands, ranches, and cattle.

The Oregon Outback

Route OR-31 is classified as an Oregon Scenic Byway. It passes through a vast rough, sandy, and tumble-weeded expanse characterized by butte and rimrock formations and lots of crusty alkaline soil (formerly the lakes). It’s quiet and also quite diverse. You’ll find sand dunes, high elevations, skiing, ancient lakes, wildlife refuges, lots of birdlife, and few people. The Outback is home to the native Northern Paiute people, and you’ll find ancient human sites and several preserved petroglyphs. You’ll be the outsider here.

You’ll start seeing signs for the Oregon Outback Scenic Byway at Highway 97 and 31 intersection, heading southeast of Bend when you enter Lake County. Lakeview, the highest town in Oregon, lies in the north of the region at almost 5,000 feet and is proximate to Warner Canyon, which has a ski area. Plush is home to Oregon’s state gemstone, the Oregon Sunstone, mined in the last century. Hart Mountain has Antelope and Sage Grouse populations and hot springs to soak in while waiting for a critter sighting. Christmas Valley is where to go if you’re an ATV enthusiast and dune rider. Fort Rock is an ancient volcano visible from almost anywhere you’ll be. The Summer Lake area near the ranching town of Paisley has both dry ancient lake beds and water lakes with bird sanctuaries.

The Dark Sky Sanctuary

The Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary (DSS), with about 2.5 million acres in Lake County in southeastern Oregon, was declared the largest dark sky sanctuary in the world in Spring 2024 by the Dark Sky Sanctuary Association.

According to this article by Travel Oregon, the DSS is expecting growth to over 11 million acres in phase 2 of the project, which would include parts of Harney and Malheur counties. Sound familiar? You might recall this news about the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

There wasn’t a lot of interest from the ranchers and locals. “Change is hard scratched out here. Honestly, all we needed to do to come into compliance as a commercial operation was to change some light fixtures and bulbs. Not a lot was required, as we already had the darkness in our favor,” explains Graham.

Summer Lake

As you approach the Summer Lakes area, your GPS will show beautiful blue lakes. Don’t be fooled. The lakes have mostly dried up millennia ago, with a few exceptions noted below. They are crusty, tan, and crunchy underfoot but vast and inspiring. The area gets only eight to nine inches of rain annually. The sun is intense; it can be hot, it can be dry, and it can be scorching and dry. But, those early morning soaks and hikes, as well as late evening soaks and stargazing, are worth whatever discomfort you may experience.

Summer Lake Hot Springs Resort

Summer Lake Hot Springs Resort is not a big-city luxury resort. The “resort” is an anomaly and surprise wrapped in the riddle of being nowhere, yet it resides in the comfort of hot springs-fed waters. Artisanal spring waters bubble up at 114 degrees and settle to about 102 to 104 degrees in the hot tubs.

If you visit, do not expect a resort per se; this place is special in an unfound gem sort of way. It’s quiet, and visitors are respectful. The focus is peacefulness and healing. There are nicely appointed cabins, each unique in its own right; RV sites with full hookups; and tent sites, all intended to service lodgers, glampers, and campers. Graham says the resort’s biggest draw is typically from the Portland, Eugene, and Bend areas, although 85% of all guests are new visitors.

Graham is aware of and averse to overtourism. He reflects, “At the end of the day, we’d like to remain off the radar. Other than Cowboy Dinner Tree, a super popular restaurant in Silver Lake, we’re the only thing going on in North Lake County. For road trippers, Summer Lake Hot Spring is really just another roadside attraction.”

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Visiting the Oregon Outback Dark Sky Sanctuary

When you visit, here are the things to see, do, and experience:

Soak in the hot pools at Summer Lakes Hot Springs
Go trail hiking, fly fishing, and biking on the Chewaucan River
Pioneer Saloon in Paisley, Oregon, promotes Good Food, Good Beer, and Oregon’s Oldest Bar (likely contested by the Rainbow Room Saloon in Pendleton, Oregon).

Summer Lake Wildlife Refuge View Loop is located in Summer Lake, 20 minutes north of Summer Lake Hot Springs Resort
Silver Lake Café & Bar in Silver Lake has the best darn Patty Melt I’ve ever had, and with Colorful locals too!

There is minimal population and, therefore, minimal light pollution. There isn’t a lot more to say. The Oregon Outback is quiet, and the skies are clear. Bring your telescopes and binoculars for optimal star viewing. And don’t forget your towel! We invite you to explore Wander With Wonder for more things to do when you visit Oregon and other parts of the Pacific Northwest—and even more quirky travel destinations.