# Owyhee River Camp Suggestions



## Katweena (May 10, 2011)

If the water is right we plan on going on the lower Owyhee during mid March. We would love any suggestions for camp sites or excellent day hikes. We don't have a huge group so smaller camps are quite alright. Thanks for your input!!


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## salmonjammer (Dec 14, 2011)

Been down twice. First 6 miles or so across Rome valley, very slow and not much. Pruitt's Castle is worth some time exploring. Geology of this river is spectacular!! One camp I remember was just below Whistling Bird rapid. Be aware that the drainage for this river is HUGH and the water levels can fluctuate rapidly. River can drop out of itself. leaving you high and dry. are you getting out a Birch Creek or going down to the reservoir?


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

My avatar picture was taken at Upper Greeley camp. Lambert Dome and Chalk Basin are both nice camps. We did a layover day at Lambert's and did quite a bit of hiking.

You may have water in March, given the way the snowpack is shaping up though, the river may not have a run at all this year.


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## Katweena (May 10, 2011)

Getting out at Birch Creek, we don't have a motor yet. We're planing on staying at the Hike-Out camp site, the Ryegrass Left camp and hike to Chalk Basin the next day for a light day to Potters Cave, and finally our last night at Upper Greeley at the other hot springs. We want to be close to hot springs since weather can be pretty variable as well. 

Do you know if camping is allowed at Potter's Cave? It doesn't have a camping symbol on the map, but I have seen others' photos camping there. If not, I will definitely look into your Whistling Bird campsite! I've read that the waters can be fluctuating and this trip definitely depends on whether or not we have any.


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

Here's the trip report from our trip. The flows were really high when we went, we planned on staying at rye grass, then were not impressed when we got there and moved on. The hotsprings at Greeley were below the river line so no soaking for us on that trip.


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## Katweena (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for the trip report! Looks like you guys had a great time. I'm really excited to go, I just hope that we will be able to! Definitely not going to expect 9,000 CFS but hopefully just enough to float us down comfortably.


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## tanderson (Mar 26, 2010)

*TriBri1 for President.*

I vote TriBri 1 as the best trip reporting reporter. I like reports that are compact, full of rad pictures, and with beta that is useful.

Great job TriBri1

Got any more????


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## TriBri1 (Nov 15, 2011)

Jason Rackley is the one responsible for the TR, he is great to have on trips. His site is Oregon Kayaking. There is a huge database of TRs there and if you submit a TR to his site he will add it.


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## MountainMedic (Apr 24, 2010)

Great TR, much enjoyed!


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## Bayou (Jan 31, 2011)

Great trip report. I'm heading up a group of 4-8 sometime this spring... April or May maybe, depending on the flows.


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

Just about every camp marked on the BLM map is a pretty good camp, isn't anyplace you have your tent pitched on the owyhee a "good" camp  You can find good hikes just about anyplace where you can see that you can hike "up hill" Hiking from Rye Grass Hot Spring, and traversing around Pruitts castle/Lambert Dome/a small part of Chalk Basin makes a great all day hike, with the hot spring to soak your bones at the end. What most people think of as chalk basin is in correct. The actual chalk basin is further to the north from Pruitt's/Lambert Dome.

Hiking up to Devil’s tower from Greely Bar hot spring area is also great.

Be on the lookout for fossils, distal end of a camelid femur (2 to 7 million years old) picture below. Interesting factoid: the paleo-studing-peeps believe camels originated in North America. 

A trail map from my personal set for you.

There are also good camps for small groups not on the map near key interesting features that are not appropriate for web distribution, but if you make enough trips you will discover on your own


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