I've been back 5 times now and never have had a bad experience. Front desk has always been polite…read moreand communicative. If they are busy, they will let you know. People need to understand, this place isn't like Seattle, Portland, or a large city - it's a nice little hot spring in the middle of the desert. The amenities are as they come, and that's all you'll really need. They also have a good selection of beef from the local ranch. We always will buy some to cook there and then a couple to take home. Will definitely be back. Worth the drive.

If you're exploring all the unique Oregon places this place has to be on the list! The hot springs…read morewere magnificent. There were a few things I wish I had known before going. There is no cold water for cooling down from the hot springs or for drinking. I think there might be water for sale in the office there. Of course fill up on gas because there is none available Mind your step when you get into the pools it may be super slippery. There are rattlesnakes, scorpions and mice that might visit at night! Plus other critters probably. I originally wanted to just due a day soak but I'm glad I decided to camp. It was amazing getting to lay in the springs at night and driving the playa at sunset. I loved every second of it except for getting stalked by a rattlesnake. Very fun experience just make sure you're prepared to be in the Outback!

We found out about this hotspring from the owner of Fields Station…read more It's a locals spot. We probably shouldn't tell you about it. But we will, if you can keep a secret. This is a fantastic, secluded hotspring in the middle of the high desert. The road our here is impassable during rain, so be careful! There are also thousands of hares out here (you know, bunny-like things) so be careful! I'd be impressed if you could avoid killing one. There are two pools of slightly different temps. There's also a honey bucket. You can camp pretty much anywhere. It's free. Don't tell.

Had a great time with the family at Crystal Crane Hot Springs. We stayed in the Eagles Nest which…read morehad 2 big beds and a tub that could easily fit 4 adults. The bathroom and showers were 20 feet away and our stay was still very quiet. There is a picnic table and first pit with a burning grill so we had everything we needed. The nights got a little cold cause the tipi has a canvas door and there is a couple holes where the wind blows in, by the second night we got wise and shoved extra clothes in the holes on the tipi got super warm due to blocking the wind and turning on the space heater thats inside. It was relaxing and not as rowdy as I thought it would get for a place that has a lot of people but they are spread out enough to not worry about and people just come and go for the hot water. We had a late check in that they were very nice about and we checked out on time. See you guys again!

Pretty poor service tbh. Everything was an up charge…read more When we arrived, I stated, I am aware that there is a fee for checking in early, but just wanted you to know we'd be ok with that and would like to check in 30 min early. The response was in all capital letters. THERE IS A FEE TO CHECK IN EARLY! Ok. So maybe that was automated. But the front desk lady was lukewarm at best. And she counted the items we bought three times then finally said-- "where's the flip flops?!!" In reference to the sticker my husband and I were talking about that I had purchased. I showed her it was the sticker and she just said, "Oh!" She was aggressively snippy at this point. Me.. having a sharp tongue walked away rather than engage. Everywhere we went there were rules posted with fees for various things-- including a $250 missing or damaged towel fee. Astounding. As we sat, quietly in our private tub, we read rules about noise levels and quiet time. While we listened to the party happening out in the public pool. It was loud and rowdy and frankly annoying. The next day, as we stay at hot springs all over the world, we expected that we could stay in the public pool past checkout. Maybe we would soak for an hour out there if no one was around. Within seconds of that private convo in our room, we got a text stating it would cost us for another four hours of soak time. We looked at each other and said "No way". I had planned on bringing my group of 12 lady friends here for our annual girls trip this spring. But the attitude was such a turn off that we've decided to head to Black Rock instead. Sadly, a fairly decent place was ruined by an alarming attitude of "being on offense". Most of the real world are good people. It would do this place a lot of good to charge a bit more, allow an all day free soak for guests (Hot Sulfur Springs Co allows soaking the day you check in until 10pm the night after you check out.) And a smile, happy attitude would be great. When we checked out, a different group of people-- but both also seemed to bothered to help us check out. Doubtful we would go back. Wish things were different. Would have loved to give wonderful review-- especially since we love hot springs and try to support locals trying to make a living. I'm sure their attitude is reflective of their experience with some types. But that doesn't mean we all deserve the same treatment. Giving a 3, because maybe you can slip in, enjoy the private soak and leave without a care.

Quiet remote hotel. Old fashion in all ways in a good sense…read more Friendly staff. Maid service, Great hearty generous food. Only complaint were the pillows!

I kept waiting for the gunslingers to come out in this western as western gets setting. We stayed…read moreat Hotel Diamond for two nights while we were visiting the Steen Mountain area with some friends. We had dinner at the hotel both nights of our stay and to say the food was abundant would be an understatement. The meal, served family style, was so good you kept eating even though you knew you were full. The first night of our stay we had BBQ ribs and chile relleno casserole along with an assortment of cooked vegetables and homemade bread and if that wasn't enough, dessert was a homemade bread pudding. The second night we had meatballs, mashed potatoes with cabbage, cooked vegetables and homemade bread. Having learned my lesson the night before, and not being a fan of ground meat of any kind, I took a pass on the meatballs and just had potatoes and vegetables for my dinner. It was more than sufficient, but then came dessert again. This time buttermilk pie. I had never heard of buttermilk pie before...kind of like a custard pie...and I have to say it was quite good. I manage to eat about three bites of it before I had to declare myself full and leave it to our friend to finish. This is truly the kind of place that I envision when I read western stories and was a wonderful setting for our visit to the Steens.

Alvord desert is a unique experience that we knew we were never going to go unless we went on this…read moreroad trip. Coming from Idaho, we were required to go onto gravel roads (at least 30 miles I would say) which was a little concerning but we made it safely. We stay at the Alvord Hot Springs so had a direct access to desert (which is a dried up lake). On the first night we arrived around 6PM, the wind was absolutely wild. We went out on the playa and could barely see anything besides what was in front of us. We gave it another shot at sunrise the next morning and came to a much more pleasant experience. At Alvord, you can drive around the playa freely. There was cracks in the dried mud that makes for some cool photos and then you can see the outlines of the mountains, although on our visit was a little foggy from the California fires (August 2020) so not as easy to see. Besides that there isn't anything else to really do. All in all, the experience was cool experience to have (and to stay in a bunker -- see Alvord Hot Springs review), but I would not go out of my way to see this again because it really is kind of out of the way, especially on a cross-country road trip.

Lying at the northern perimeter of the Basin and Range geologic province, the Alvord Desert is a…read morelarge dry lake bed - a playa - similar to others found in the region, such as those just to the south in Nevada near Black Rock. Alvord is a fault block basin formed by tectonic activity that raised (and still raises) the Steens Mountains and others surrounding the playa. It's a typical feature in the Basin and Range. From a non-geologic perspective, Alvord is pretty spectacular to visit, particularly if you're a desert rat like I am. The views are incredible. Moreover, you can drive out onto the playa which takes you into a surreal environment as well as providing access to the land on the south side of the playa. I must add a caveat - please do not drive on the playa when it's wet or has recently rained (an infrequent event, to be sure). Vehicle tracks mar the surface of the lake bed and will endure for years. See one of my photos for an example. Proximity to the Steens makes Alvord even more attractive. The mountain looms over the playa, inviting you to drive up to the top and take in the downward view too. Note that large tracts of the Alvord Desert are within a BLM Wilderness Study Area and the Leave No Trace principle applies.

I ventured out to the Alvord Desert to experience Land Sailing with my husband and friends. Since…read morecamping in the dust did not appeal to us ladies, we decided to take it up a notch and stay at the Steens Country Cabin. I really can't say enough good things about this place. The pictures do not do it justice. The 'cabin' is clean and comfortable. There is plenty of room for 4 guests. The kitchen has everything you need. It was so nice to come back from a day on the playa and take a nice hot shower and have a nice BBQ dinner. Bring enough food because the nearest grocery store is in about 120 miles away. A word to the 'City' folk (like us), this is rural Oregon. The locals out here are honest, friendly people. If you want a good experience, treat them (as you should with everyone) with respect, courtesy and honesty. At the end of the day the real plus was getting to know the owners, John, Cheryl and their two dogs. They are very welcoming and know the area very well.

Stayed here on a recent hunting trip in the Steen's mountains and wow, what a great place! The…read morecabin is huge! Tons of room and well decorated. It was nice to come back from a long day of hunting to an air conditioned cabin. The cabin was fully stocked with everything we could possibly need. Nice sized kitchen and the bedrooms were huge! The location couldn't be better, stepped outside and the Steen were right there and gorgeous. Well maintained area. Even though the cabin isn't quite a real "cabin", you wouldn't even know it when you stepped in. Such a great place. The owners were extremely nice and accommodating. They made sure we had anything we needed and they were very friendly! They had two dogs who are too cute for words. Highly recommend staying there, it's worth the trip!

It's possible to travel just 3 hours and feel like you're in another world. When we booked our…read moreadventure over the phone, Susan asked about our riding experience, any food sensitivities and how much we wanted to dive in with the ranch experience. When we arrived, Susan came out of the house to welcome us and showed us our cabin (which they just finished last year). I wanted every experience the ranch had to offer and Tim and Susan did not disappoint. From waking up at sunrise to feed the horses, to witnessing the birth of a calf (they didn't have control over that but a total bonus), fixing fences, riding all day, cattle pushing, taking care of the horses, riding in the back of a truck after a long day, taking care of calves, glorious sunrises and sets, magnificent landscape to wonderful home cooked meals. We would swap stories at the table as I stuffed my mouth with biscuits, steak and homemade jam. I would watch the day break from the loft in our cabin. There was something so comforting and so right to put on the same pair of dusty jeans and boots as I got ready to tackle the day. I never once felt stupid for still not grasping how to cinch my horse by the third day or accidentally splitting up a herd during a push down the mountain. Susan made sure she snapped a photo or got a video during our glory moments. We were all treated like family and it was hard to say goodbye when the time came. Your adventure will be worth every penny, every sore butt and dusty face. In my 43 years next to my daughter's birth, this was the greatest moment of my life. My soul was alive the whole week and have found my calling after my daughter flys the coop. There is no better place to heal the soul than on the back of a horse.

Suz and Tim are wonderful hosts! There was a welcome sign…read moreon the porch which made us feel right at home. My sweetie had scheduled us for a two hour horse back ride but I've never ridden. The original destination seemed a bit daunting, so we spent some time in the Arena letting me get used to the feel of the horse and learning how to "drive" her, so to speak. I was a little embarrassed, but neither of these horse pro's made me feel anything less than fine. They kept telling me how good i was getting and that they saw me go from tense to comfortable in the short time we were on horseback. I'd love to see them again and I think I would like go on horseback again.... I'm so thankful for their patience and hospitality.

We didn't stay at this facility (wish we would have) but we dined with them twice! The service was…read moreamazing! Food was great! Dinner was served family stuff so great conversation with other birders!

Food was good and fun rustic atmosphere. Don't expect luxury, but that's not why you're here…read more Definitely a great bucket item list!

We stayed here for two nights in early July 2022. Clean bathrooms and very nice staff. I wouldn't…read moresay this is a resort....but it's a nice place to stay. We had only two complaints..... the road leading into the resort is washboard gravel for three miles making it a really rough ride in a camper. And the second thing were the mosquitoes! However, they were fogging and doing their best to control the bugs! Overall, a nice place!

We were told that this is the Grand Canyon of Oregon. We…read morewere not disappointed!!! Beautiful, breathtaking views surround you as you climb higher and higher.

Pamela G.'s review is spot on. May/June = Mosquitos. Wildlife = birds. Haha. The visitor center is…read morebeautiful, the pond is picturesque and the birds are plentiful, though you hear a lot more than you see. Maybe I just don't have the eye for birding. Janet, in the info center as you first walk in, was very helpful with brochures and directions and recommendations. We walked around the center, checked out the museum (who knew how many different birds were black with white markings, but each very distinct?), took a bunch of pictures and yes, we were immediately swarmed by mosquitos when we got out of the car. Bring your repellent! We took the short gravel road drive down to Wrights pond, because this is the highest the water has been in 15 years and Janet said there was an abundance of wildlife right by your feet. Not wrong, we saw a deer, and hundreds of birds. Really unique area to explore, this little oasis in the middle of the desert and at the foot of the mountains.

I have never seen so many different species of bird anywhere. What a treasure this is for…read morewildlife, the world habitat and the country. I felt like I was in an Aviary, in fact, when I closed my eyes it felt like the Amazon must feel in the deep jungle with hundreds of different kinds of birds singing and squawking in every direction. And oh what birds they are. I am not a birder so I had no idea what many of the birds were, but I did recognize the Western Tanager, Goldfinch, Great Horned owl chick, and pelicans. The rest of them were called, "Wow! Look at that!", birds. If you go in late late May, early June, cover your body and use mosquito repellent where you're exposed. We were just passing through, but now that I know what a treasure Malheur is and that the best time of year is in March/April I'll be back for more than a few hours.