Malheur Field Station
A truly wonderful place to spend a weekend or a week in the Oregon desert, Malheur Field Station occupies the site of an old Youth Corps camp a few miles from the headquarters of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, about 30 miles south of Burns. The Field Station is owned by a group of colleges and universities that use it as a base station for classes and research; but it’s nearly never full, and you can rent a bed in a dorm or an entire apartment or trailer for next to nothing. A cafeteria serves some meals. The decor is, let’s say, extremely basic, but the field station has a charm that’s unequaled anywhere. Coyotes will sing you to sleep at night and birds will chatter you awake in the morning.
Arrangements are informal and best made in advance; call (541) 493-2629, email fieldstation@highdesertair.com or check their website for details. You get a discount on lodging if you become a field station member.