P Ranch
Encyclopedia
The P Ranch is a historic ranch in Harney County
in southeastern Oregon
, United States. The remaining ranch structures are located on the west bank of the Donner und Blitzen River
in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
. The ranch was built by Peter French
, a well known 19th-century cattle baron. The P Ranch became headquarters for the French-Glenn Livestock Company, which eventually covered over 140000 acres (566.6 km²). After French was murdered in 1897, the French-Glenn Livestock Company slowly sold off the P Ranch property. In 1935, the United States Government purchased the remaining P Ranch property to add to an adjacent wildlife refuge. The Civilian Conservation Corps
demolished most of the original ranch buildings in the 1930s, and a fire destroyed the main ranch house in 1947. The few remaining P Ranch structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
was covered by a single great lake covering 255000 acres (1,031.9 km²). The birds, animals, and plants found in the wetland around the lake provided abundant food for early inhabitants. About 3,500 years ago, small villages began to develop around the lakes and along the banks of the river. Beginning about 1,400 years ago, extended droughts began to shrink the lake and surrounding wetlands.
While there are no records of the earliest people to inhabit the Harney Basin, Native Americans
used the wetland areas around Malheur Lake
, Harney Lake
, and Donner und Blitzen River for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. By the time Europeans began to explore the area in the early nineteenth century, the Northern Paiute people were well established in the Harney Basin including the area that became the P Ranch.
Hudson's Bay Company
fur trappers were the first Europeans to visit the Harney Basin. Peter Skene Ogden
passed along the north shore of Malheur Lake in 1826. Other fur trapping expeditions followed in the 1830s. Several military expeditions passed through the area in the late 1850s. Major Enoch Steen
was the first non-native to explore the Donner und Blitzen River area in 1860. Steens Mountain
, that dominates southern Harney County, was named in his honor. In the 1860s, the United States Army
established a number of military outposts in the Harney Basin.
Peter French was born in Missouri
in 1849. As a boy, he immigrated to California
with his family. Then as a young man, French went to work for Doctor Hugh J. Glenn
, who owned large tracks of land in the Sacramento Valley
. In 1872, Glenn decided to expand his operation into Oregon. To lead the venture, Glenn picked 23 year old Peter French. French was sent north with six vaquero
s and 1,200 head of cattle.
When he arrived in the Blitzen Valley, French ran into a prospector named Porter, who had not found much gold and was eager to move on. French bought Porter’s small heard of cattle along with his "P" brand
and rights to the west slope of Steens Mountain where Porter had prospected. French settled along the Donner und Blitzen River. Over the next few years, French drained and fenced thousands of acres of wetlands along the river. That land became the P Ranch, which was named for the "P" brand acquired from Porter. By the 1870s, the P Ranch was earning a good income for Glenn. Cattle were raised in the lush P Ranch pastures along the river. In the fall, French drove his cattle 200 miles (321.9 km) to the railhead
at Winnemucca
, Nevada
.
In 1883, French married Glenn’s daughter Ella. Glenn was murdered three weeks later by a former employee. French continued to manage the Oregon operation for the Glenn family, selling more cattle to help pay the family’s debts. In 1894, Glenn’s heirs decided to incorporate the French-Glenn partnership into the French-Glenn Livestock Company, making French the company president.
From his base at the P Ranch, French expanded the company's holdings until the ranch extended from the foothills of Steens Mountain 40 miles (64.4 km) along both sides of the Donner und Blitzen River to Malheur Lake, including the entire south shore of the lake. It also covered all of neighboring Happy and Diamond valleys plus a large part of the Catlow Valley to the south. Eventually, the French-Glenn Livestock Company owned over 140000 acres (566.6 km²) of the Harney Basin. Some records indicate the ranch may have covered as much as 200000 acres (809.4 km²). The company built and maintained 500 miles (804.7 km) of barbed wire
fence to protect 30,000 to 45,000 head of cattle plus 3,000 horses and mules. The operation had five divisions; the Happy Valley Division, the Diamond Division, Sod-House Division, the Catlow Valley Division, and the P Ranch Division. The P Ranch served as French’s main headquarters in the center of the property.
French was not popular with new homesteaders in the area because he owned or controlled most of the water in the southern Harney Basin. His fences also made it difficult for some homesteaders to get to and from their property. On 26 December 1897, French was shot dead by a settler who had been unsuccessful in getting a road easement across French’s property.
F.C. Lusk, who was the secretary of the French-Glenn Livestock Company prior to French’s death, became executor of French’s estate and took over as manager of the P Ranch and the company’s other properties. To pay off company debts, Lusk gradually sold off ranch assets. In 1906, the P Ranch and the neighboring Diamond Ranch were sold to Henry L. Corbett and his partner C.E.S. Wood. In 1916, Louis F. Swift, owner of the Swift Meat Packing Company
, joined the P Ranch partnership and the business became the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company. In the 1920s, the part of the French-Glenn property known as the Barton Lake Ranch was bought by John Jenkins. This property includes the well-known Pete French Round Barn
. In 1935, a large part of the P Ranch was incorporated into the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
During the 1930s, the refuge hosted three Civilian Conservation Corps camps. One was located at the Sod-House Ranch south of Malheur Lake. A second camp was located at Buena Vista Station and the third was located 5 miles (8 km) north of Frenchglen in the P Ranch area. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built a number of stone buildings to house the refuge headquarters at the Sod-House site. In addition, they constructed several refuge buildings at Buena Vista, four lookout towers, the main refuge patrol road, four concrete dams, numerous canals and bridges, and hundreds of miles of fence. The Civilian Conservation Corps also demolished most of the original ranch structures before the camps were closed in 1942.
After the Civilian Conservation Corps left, the remaining ranch buildings, including Peter French’s main house at the P Ranch, continued to be used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
to support refuge operations. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the main ranch house in 1947 (story and photos), leaving only the foundation and a stone chimney that had been attached to the west end of the house.
Because it played an important role in the development of the cattle industry in the western United States, the P Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 29 January 1979. The historic district covers 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) along both sides of the Donner und Blitzen River. Today, the Long Barn is the only historic building left at the site.
The Long Barn was built in the 1880s. It is 150 feet (45.7 m) long and 50 feet (15.2 m) wide. It is a post and beam structure. There are 56 heavy log posts in two rows that support the roof, which is 30 feet (9.1 m) high at its peak. The exterior of the barn is finished with pine
and aspen
lumber. The roof is covered with pine shingles
. The original foundation sills
were replaced by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939. The interior of the barn is a single large room. It has a 12 feet (3.7 m) wide center isle running between the two rows of support posts. Hay is still stored in the center isle; often stack to the crest of the roof. Along both side of the barn are feed racks and animal stalls. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service stabilized and restored the Long Barn in 2008. Today, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service uses the Long Barn to bed down horses and store hay.
The ranch property also has an original beef wheel, used to hoist slaughtered cattle off the ground to cool. It was built in the 1880s, when Peter French employed a hundred or more ranch hands. To feed all its dependents, the ranch needed to slaughter two cattle per week so the beef wheel was an important piece of structural equipment. The wheel is quite large since it had to lift beef carcasses high enough off the ground that the meat was safe from dog
s and coyote
s. The wheel is a square pine frame mounted on two large juniper
posts.
Several sections of original stockade fence still remain at P Ranch site. These fences are made of juniper slabs which are buried in trenches. The fence cross-pieces were originally bound to the slabs with rawhide. There are also several original willow corrals that still exist. These were made by weaving willow shoots between upright juniper posts.
The P Ranch is located within the boundaries of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The ranch is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Frenchglen, Oregon
. From Frenchglen, travel east 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on the Steens Mountain Loop Road; then turn north on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Central Patrol Road. The ranch entrance is on the west side of the road approximately 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) from the Steens Mountain Loop Road junction.
Harney County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Malheur National Forest *Malheur National Wildlife Refuge*Ochoco National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,609 people, 3,036 households, and 2,094 families residing in the county. The population density was 1 people per square mile...
in southeastern Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States. The remaining ranch structures are located on the west bank of the Donner und Blitzen River
Donner und Blitzen River
The Donner und Blitzen River is a river on the eastern Oregon high desert which drains a relatively arid basin, the southern portion of Harney Basin, from roughly 20 to 80 miles south-southeast of Burns including Malheur National Wildlife Refuge...
in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is located roughly south of the town of Burns, Oregon. The refuge area is roughly T shaped with the southernmost base at Frenchglen, the left top at Malheur Lake and the right top at Harney Lake....
. The ranch was built by Peter French
Peter French
Peter French was a rancher in the western United States in the late 19th century. The community of Frenchglen, Oregon was partially named for him.-Early life:...
, a well known 19th-century cattle baron. The P Ranch became headquarters for the French-Glenn Livestock Company, which eventually covered over 140000 acres (566.6 km²). After French was murdered in 1897, the French-Glenn Livestock Company slowly sold off the P Ranch property. In 1935, the United States Government purchased the remaining P Ranch property to add to an adjacent wildlife refuge. The Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
demolished most of the original ranch buildings in the 1930s, and a fire destroyed the main ranch house in 1947. The few remaining P Ranch structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Early history
Around 9,800 years ago, the Harney BasinHarney Basin
The Harney Basin is a structural basin in southeastern Oregon in the United States at the northwestern corner of the Great Basin. One of the least populated areas of the contiguous United States, it is located largely in northern Harney County, bounded on the north and east by the Columbia Plateau,...
was covered by a single great lake covering 255000 acres (1,031.9 km²). The birds, animals, and plants found in the wetland around the lake provided abundant food for early inhabitants. About 3,500 years ago, small villages began to develop around the lakes and along the banks of the river. Beginning about 1,400 years ago, extended droughts began to shrink the lake and surrounding wetlands.
While there are no records of the earliest people to inhabit the Harney Basin, Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
used the wetland areas around Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake
Malheur Lake is a lake in an arid region of eastern Oregon, United States near Burns, Oregon. The lake is fed by Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake has no outlet, though water escapes through ground seepage and by evaporation; widespread...
, Harney Lake
Harney Lake
Harney Lake is a shallow alkali lake basin located in southeast Oregon, United States, approximately thirty miles south of the town of Burns. The lake lies within the boundary of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and is the lowest point in the Blitzen Valley drainage.- History :The lake has been...
, and Donner und Blitzen River for thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. By the time Europeans began to explore the area in the early nineteenth century, the Northern Paiute people were well established in the Harney Basin including the area that became the P Ranch.
Hudson's Bay Company
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
fur trappers were the first Europeans to visit the Harney Basin. Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden
Peter Skene Ogden , was a fur trader and a Canadian explorer of what is now British Columbia and the American West...
passed along the north shore of Malheur Lake in 1826. Other fur trapping expeditions followed in the 1830s. Several military expeditions passed through the area in the late 1850s. Major Enoch Steen
Enoch Steen
Enoch Steen was an United States military officer and western explorer. He joined the United States Army in 1832, serving at posts throughout the United States including many remote locations in the west. During his military service, Steen explored parts of the western United States including...
was the first non-native to explore the Donner und Blitzen River area in 1860. Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain
Steens Mountain is a large fault-block mountain in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Harney County, it stretches some and rises from an elevation of about above the Alvord Desert to its peak at...
, that dominates southern Harney County, was named in his honor. In the 1860s, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
established a number of military outposts in the Harney Basin.
Peter French
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1849. As a boy, he immigrated to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
with his family. Then as a young man, French went to work for Doctor Hugh J. Glenn
Hugh J. Glenn
Hugh James Glenn was a prominent businessman and politician in California. Glenn was born near Staunton, Virginia, and grew up in Monroe County, Missouri. He was educated as a physician at McDowell's Medical College in St. Louis, Missouri. Glenn served with Colonel Alexander William Doniphan's...
, who owned large tracks of land in the Sacramento Valley
Sacramento Valley
The Sacramento Valley is the portion of the California Central Valley that lies to the north of the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta in the U.S. state of California. It encompasses all or parts of ten counties.-Geography:...
. In 1872, Glenn decided to expand his operation into Oregon. To lead the venture, Glenn picked 23 year old Peter French. French was sent north with six vaquero
Cowboy
A cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s and 1,200 head of cattle.
When he arrived in the Blitzen Valley, French ran into a prospector named Porter, who had not found much gold and was eager to move on. French bought Porter’s small heard of cattle along with his "P" brand
Branding iron
A branding iron is a tool which uses the process of pressing a heated metal shape against an object or livestock with the intention of leaving a mark....
and rights to the west slope of Steens Mountain where Porter had prospected. French settled along the Donner und Blitzen River. Over the next few years, French drained and fenced thousands of acres of wetlands along the river. That land became the P Ranch, which was named for the "P" brand acquired from Porter. By the 1870s, the P Ranch was earning a good income for Glenn. Cattle were raised in the lush P Ranch pastures along the river. In the fall, French drove his cattle 200 miles (321.9 km) to the railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
at Winnemucca
Winnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
In 1883, French married Glenn’s daughter Ella. Glenn was murdered three weeks later by a former employee. French continued to manage the Oregon operation for the Glenn family, selling more cattle to help pay the family’s debts. In 1894, Glenn’s heirs decided to incorporate the French-Glenn partnership into the French-Glenn Livestock Company, making French the company president.
From his base at the P Ranch, French expanded the company's holdings until the ranch extended from the foothills of Steens Mountain 40 miles (64.4 km) along both sides of the Donner und Blitzen River to Malheur Lake, including the entire south shore of the lake. It also covered all of neighboring Happy and Diamond valleys plus a large part of the Catlow Valley to the south. Eventually, the French-Glenn Livestock Company owned over 140000 acres (566.6 km²) of the Harney Basin. Some records indicate the ranch may have covered as much as 200000 acres (809.4 km²). The company built and maintained 500 miles (804.7 km) of barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
fence to protect 30,000 to 45,000 head of cattle plus 3,000 horses and mules. The operation had five divisions; the Happy Valley Division, the Diamond Division, Sod-House Division, the Catlow Valley Division, and the P Ranch Division. The P Ranch served as French’s main headquarters in the center of the property.
F.C. Lusk, who was the secretary of the French-Glenn Livestock Company prior to French’s death, became executor of French’s estate and took over as manager of the P Ranch and the company’s other properties. To pay off company debts, Lusk gradually sold off ranch assets. In 1906, the P Ranch and the neighboring Diamond Ranch were sold to Henry L. Corbett and his partner C.E.S. Wood. In 1916, Louis F. Swift, owner of the Swift Meat Packing Company
Swift & Company
Swift & Company is an American food procession company a wholly owned subsidiary of JBS S.A. , a Brazilian company that is the world's largest processor of fresh beef and pork, with more than US$30 billion in annual sales as of 2010. It is also the largest beef processor in Australia.Swift &...
, joined the P Ranch partnership and the business became the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company. In the 1920s, the part of the French-Glenn property known as the Barton Lake Ranch was bought by John Jenkins. This property includes the well-known Pete French Round Barn
Pete French Round Barn
The Pete French Round Barn, located near Burns, Oregon, United States, is a round barn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The late 19th century barn was owned and constructed by cattle rancher Peter French; French trained horses there during the winter...
. In 1935, a large part of the P Ranch was incorporated into the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge
The Malheur Migratory Bird Refuge was created in 1908. Over the years, the refuge grew to encompass 81786 acres (331 km²) around Malheur Lake. In 1935, the United States Government purchased 64717 acres (261.9 km²) of P Ranch property from the Eastern Oregon Live Stock Company for $675,000, adding the land to the refuge. The refuge was later renamed the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.During the 1930s, the refuge hosted three Civilian Conservation Corps camps. One was located at the Sod-House Ranch south of Malheur Lake. A second camp was located at Buena Vista Station and the third was located 5 miles (8 km) north of Frenchglen in the P Ranch area. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built a number of stone buildings to house the refuge headquarters at the Sod-House site. In addition, they constructed several refuge buildings at Buena Vista, four lookout towers, the main refuge patrol road, four concrete dams, numerous canals and bridges, and hundreds of miles of fence. The Civilian Conservation Corps also demolished most of the original ranch structures before the camps were closed in 1942.
After the Civilian Conservation Corps left, the remaining ranch buildings, including Peter French’s main house at the P Ranch, continued to be used by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...
to support refuge operations. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the main ranch house in 1947 (story and photos), leaving only the foundation and a stone chimney that had been attached to the west end of the house.
Because it played an important role in the development of the cattle industry in the western United States, the P Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on 29 January 1979. The historic district covers 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) along both sides of the Donner und Blitzen River. Today, the Long Barn is the only historic building left at the site.
Structures
At its peak, the P Ranch complex included at least twenty-one buildings. Today, only one building and two other historic structures remain at the P Ranch site. In addition to the Long Barn, there is a beef wheel and some original stock fences.The Long Barn was built in the 1880s. It is 150 feet (45.7 m) long and 50 feet (15.2 m) wide. It is a post and beam structure. There are 56 heavy log posts in two rows that support the roof, which is 30 feet (9.1 m) high at its peak. The exterior of the barn is finished with pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and aspen
Aspen
Populus section Populus, of the Populus genus, includes the aspen trees and the white poplar Populus alba. The five typical aspens are all native to cold regions with cool summers, in the north of the Northern Hemisphere, extending south at high altitudes in the mountains. The White Poplar, by...
lumber. The roof is covered with pine shingles
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
. The original foundation sills
Sill plate
A sill plate or sole plate in construction and architecture is the bottom horizontal member of a wall or building to which vertical members are attached. Sill plates are usually composed of lumber. It usually comes in sizes of 2×4, 2×6, 2×8, and 2×10. In the platform framing method the sill plate...
were replaced by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939. The interior of the barn is a single large room. It has a 12 feet (3.7 m) wide center isle running between the two rows of support posts. Hay is still stored in the center isle; often stack to the crest of the roof. Along both side of the barn are feed racks and animal stalls. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service stabilized and restored the Long Barn in 2008. Today, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service uses the Long Barn to bed down horses and store hay.
The ranch property also has an original beef wheel, used to hoist slaughtered cattle off the ground to cool. It was built in the 1880s, when Peter French employed a hundred or more ranch hands. To feed all its dependents, the ranch needed to slaughter two cattle per week so the beef wheel was an important piece of structural equipment. The wheel is quite large since it had to lift beef carcasses high enough off the ground that the meat was safe from dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s and coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
s. The wheel is a square pine frame mounted on two large juniper
Juniper
Junipers are coniferous plants in the genus Juniperus of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on taxonomic viewpoint, there are between 50-67 species of juniper, widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere, from the Arctic, south to tropical Africa in the Old World, and to the...
posts.
Several sections of original stockade fence still remain at P Ranch site. These fences are made of juniper slabs which are buried in trenches. The fence cross-pieces were originally bound to the slabs with rawhide. There are also several original willow corrals that still exist. These were made by weaving willow shoots between upright juniper posts.
Location
The P Ranch Historic District covers 60 acre (0.2428116 km²) along the Donner und Blitzen River in southeastern Oregon. The elevation of the ranch is 4196 feet (1,278.9 m) above sea level.The P Ranch is located within the boundaries of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The ranch is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Frenchglen, Oregon
Frenchglen, Oregon
Frenchglen is an unincorporated community in Harney County, Oregon, United States. It is south of Burns on Oregon Route 205 and its population is approximately 12....
. From Frenchglen, travel east 1.5 miles (2.4 km) on the Steens Mountain Loop Road; then turn north on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Central Patrol Road. The ranch entrance is on the west side of the road approximately 0.25 mile (0.402335 km) from the Steens Mountain Loop Road junction.