Pat's Cabin Trail

Dogs Unknown

Features Views

No water on trail and few trees until you get above 2,800 ft elevation.

Head to the Painted Hills Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument along Burnt Ranch Road. When you reach a junction at the end of the paved road, instead of turning left (west) towards the National Monument continue straight north for approx. 3 miles. If you see a road to the right (east) with a BLM sign for "Priest Hole Rec. Site" you've gone about 200 feet too far.

The trailhead is at a large flat grassy area west of the road with plenty of camping area (no trees though) or on the east side of the road near a large cattle loading pen. The trail starts at the southern end of the grassy area. Crossing Bridge Creek (which can be high in spring, though some boards were put across it to help in the crossing) you continue in a southern direction for a couple hundred feet.

If you run into fencing for a ranch turn west and you should come upon the old jeep road which forms the basic trail. You start out in relatively treeless grassland heading up the canyon. The higher you go the more trees. Pat's cabin is located on a saddle at around 3,000 ft elevation. If you have a GPS with you (and you should) when the jeep road reaches this elevation the saddle will be to your left (south) and the cabin is visible from the saddle to the west.

The trail is a mix of sometimes the old jeep trail, sometimes in the wash of Pat's Cabin Canyon and sometimes human/game trails alongside the wash. There is not a set trail, choose your own best route up the canyon.

In addition to carrying a GPS, I highly recommend the USGS topo map "Painted Hills" (the 1968 version is actually better than the 2020 version since it shows the old jeep road and a well near where the cabin is located). Also, looking for footprints can help you stay in the right canyon.