North Fork John Day River Road

Location

On Hwy 395, about 11.2 miles south of the Ukiah/Hwy 244 intersection, turn right (west) off Hwy 395 onto North Fork John Day River RD. This is a rough gravel/dirt road that winds west along the north shore of the N. Fork of the John Day River for twenty some miles. At mile 5.4, the road leaves Umatilla County and enters Grant County. This road is a good location to look for Mountain Quail in Umatilla County. They are year-round here but hard to see and numbers vary considerably from year to year. In August 2004 (admittedly a good hatch year) one surveyor counted 54 quail along this road (please note that Mountain Quail remains very difficult to find in Umatilla County and is rare even at this location). This is a canyon road and is dusty and hot in summer. Great spot for rattlers and many birds in late summer. Look for Lewis’s Woodpecker and American Dipper and many other species along the road.

For you adventurous souls, this road will take you out to Potamus Creek (Grant County) and the mixed western juniper/ponderosa pine forests. This is a great area to do some late summer owling. It’s outstanding for Flammulated Owls and Northern Saw-whet Owls in April- May.