These remote 40 Oregon acres offer a rare chance to own a private lake in a sea of wilderness-quality government land. That’s a good thing, because, as an “inholding”, it means this bare land is totally secluded and you’re not likely to be bothered by neighbors. This is eastern Oregon recreational land times 1000!

This is pronghorn and deer heaven! The following photos were taken in fall, 2014. Click on any photo for a closer look. (Note that this is the driest time for the lake. In Spring, expect a far different scene.)

Some pronghorn in the distance photographed from the property.
Some pronghorn in the distance photographed from the property. A great hunting or recreational property!
Pronghorn photographed from the property on the lake rim.
Pronghorn photographed from this Oregon land on the lake rim.
Lots of deer and antelope tracks on the lake bed. It's one of the only water sources nearby.
Lots of deer and antelope tracks on the lake bed. It’s one of the only water sources nearby. Perfect hunting property.
Looking north towards Juniper Mountain on the north end of the property. The many trees on this nearby mountain provide lots of game cover.
Looking north towards Juniper Mountain on the north end of this Oregon land. The many trees on this nearby mountain provide lots of game cover.
Looking west (I think) across the lake bed area towards Winter Rim.
Looking west (I think) across this Harney County lake bed towards Winter Rim.
Looking south-east (I think) across the property towards the awesome Hart Mountain the distance.
Looking south-east (I think) across the property towards the awesome Hart Mountain the distance.
This isn't the property, but rather the road around Juniper mountain on the way to Sagehen Lake.
This isn’t the property, but rather the road around Juniper mountain on the way to Sagehen Lake.

This parcel is located in beautiful Harney County, Oregon. It’s north-east of Lake Abert and the awesome Abert Rim. It’s a few miles south of the rugged Juniper Mountain: 2,564 acres of federal land classified as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern.

Sagehen Lake is a private parcel situated amidst government land. In fact, it's over 7 miles to the next nearest private parcel!
Sagehen Lake is a private parcel situated amidst government land. In fact, it’s over 7 miles to the next nearest private parcel!

A dirt road goes directly to Sagehen Lake. It’s about 3:30 hours drive from Bend, 6:25 hours from Portland, or 2 hours from Lakeview.

Remote, remote, remote! Close to Hart Mountain Antelope Reserve, north of Lakeview, south east of Bend, south of Burns.
Remote, remote, remote! Close to Hart Mountain Antelope Reserve, north of Lakeview, south east of Bend, south of Burns.

Here’s a view of this eastern Oregon lake in Google maps. Zoom out to see where it is compared to the rest of Oregon.

This is ancient land with nearby petroglyphs and gemstones.

A contour view of the land surrounding Sagehen Lake highlights the impressive Abert Rim to the west and Juniper Mountain, a federally recognized Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
A contour view of the land surrounding Sagehen Lake highlights the impressive Abert Rim to the west and Juniper Mountain, a federally recognized Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
We note that this is sagebrush country.
This is sagebrush country.

The government has considered the area for wilderness designation:

This unit is located approximately 24 miles north of Plush, Oregon and two miles east of Juniper Mountain proper (Map I). In 1980, the unit was described as containing approximately 12,500 acres of BLM land and 40 acres of private land. The current estimate of size is based on GIS data and this shows the unit as being 14, 155 acres. The unit is a located on a high plateau with rolling terrain. Big sage, low sagebrush, and grasses are the primary vegetative cover. There are nine ephemeral lakes in the unit, the largest being Sagehen Lake.

Looking North.
Looking North.

Given its name, yes, the endangered sage grouse call the area home. In fact, the area around the lake is a core sage grouse area.

This plat map shows the location of the property. Note that while it says that the lake is dry, that’s actually not true (although in the height of summer there’s little water present). Note also that this property is the ONLY parcel of private property on this entire plat!
This aerial view from ORMAP shows you the precise boundaries of the property.
This aerial view from ORMAP shows you the precise boundaries of the property.

What’s the legal description?

31S 24E WM section 16 tax lot 200.

How much are property taxes?

In 2014, they were $25.12/year.

Is there power to the property?

Heck no! This is one of the remotest spots in Oregon. This is total off-the-grid away-from-it-all solitude.

What about roads to the property?

As you can see, dirt roads lead right to the lake. (On some maps, the road is called “Eagle Butte Road.”) However, it’s a rough road in spots and you’d probably need 4-wheel drive (particularly in spring when it may be muddy).

Is it accessible all year?

This is high desert, so… probably. It does rain out there which may mud up the road. But it only rarely gets lasting snowfall.

What’s the elevation?

It’s Oregon’s beautiful high desert! 5,200 feet above sea level.

Can I build?

You’d need a conditional use permit (CUP) from Harney County. One thing to remember is that this is a relatively conservative and rural county by Oregon standards: therefore, it’s my understanding that such permits are typically granted. Once a permit is granted,  you’re allowed to dig a well, etc. I should note that you can park your RV here and live part time out of the year; as far as I know, there are no regulations against that. Oh, and pretty sure you can build small support structures without permits, too.

Is there wildlife in the area?

Yes, this is a core habitat for sage grouse. I’ve also seen pronghorn in the area. And lots of raptors.

How big is 40 acres?

It’s 1/4 mile by 1/4 mile, or roughly equivalent to 40 football fields.

How much is this property?

$47,350

How do I buy the property?

Just contact me below! Typically we exchange a cashier’s check for a notarized quit claim deed which you can then file with the county. If you’d like title insurance & escrow, that’s fine, but it’s up to you to cover these fees (using AmeriTitle it is $450 for the escrow account, $100-200 for title insurance, and roughly $50 for filing). We feel that these fees are pretty expensive for a smaller deal, but, again, it’s up to you if you want them. Contact me below for more details.

Any owner financing or terms?

We’d prefer to deal in cash to reduce the complexity of contract preparation, making sure that payments come in, and interest rate computation. However, since we get a lot of questions about this, we’re exploring how to setup reasonable owner financing for purchasers who don’t have all of the money right away. Contact me for details.

Interested in buying or talking more?

Please email me at oregondesert (at) gmail.com OR fill out the private form below and I will get back to you.