Baker City Airport Ponds

Location

From I-84, take Exit 302 and go east on Hwy 86 for 0.1 miles. Turn left (north) on Airport Road, which parallels I-84. Within a half mile, you will see a pond on your right with a home nearby. Check this one for Ring-necked Ducks and Double Crested Cormorants. Continue on Airport Road for 1.5 miles and turn right on S. Airport Lane. More ponds will soon appear on your right. Check these and continue east to Lindley Road. Directly across Lindley is an entrance to a sand and gravel business. The road goes between dredge ponds. It is best to approach the office first and ask permission to bird these ponds. If the gate is closed, turn left on Lindley and go 0.25 miles and turn right on S. Airport Lane. Check the northernmost dredge pond or drive past the pond and turn right to the entrance of the sand and gravel site to ask permission to bird the ponds. Return to S. Airport Lane traveling east. Check the cattails at the end of the pavement for Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Virginia Rails and Sora. Go 1.5 miles east to Sunnyslope Road. Turn right and go 0.5 miles to the last pond. There could be standing water along any of these roads, depending on snowmelt and heavy rains. Conversely, these ponds may be completely empty in dry conditions.