THE ALVORD DESERT | Oregon Documentary | The Emptiest Place in Oregon Explored 

On December 26, 1991, I camped at the hot spring located on the SW side of the Alvord Desert. The hot spring wasn't yet infested with hippies. It was a bitterly cold, absolutely silent place. I turned on the shortwave radio, only to discover the Soviet Union had fallen. I had the strangest feeling about how meaningless one human life can be in the vastness of time.

This is great. Was searching for good Oregon videos and this is a diamond in the rough of silly generic travel vids. Thanks dudes!!

Clicked in to take a dip, ended up taking a 28-minute bath. Really good work guys, love the mood and the info segments. Subscribed.

This is F@#$#ing wonderful. You can’t ever stop making videos.

I grew up in Saint Helens Oregon, about an hour (38 miles) west of Portland. I have always wanted to visit the Alvord Desert! I cant wait to! I hope you guys can make it up to Portland and make some videos!

I could watch your documentary style for days. Amazing stuff. Going to check out more of your videos!

Awesome video. Couldn't ask for anything better 👍👍

Having discovered earlier today Oregon is not all trees, I came across your documentary. This is superb and highly informatative viewing....also the music mix should be made available for purchase...Incidentally keegan is some shots looks very much like the actor David Patrick Kelly who was in the 1979 movie 'The Warriors'.

Dad told me several times how when we got to the top of the Steen's Mountains (~1970) and I got out of the car. The stars were so bright it scared me and I started crying. We did a few more trips out there over the years. Intensely beautiful country! Great video!

Very nice! Love the variety, presentation, info.

You guys are cool. Loved your sense of humor and dorkiness!

Eastern Oregon is full of so many hidden gems like this. I only live 4 hours from Steens and the Alvord Desert in North East Oregon so a trip down south is definitely in order. Great video, you got me sold.

I was camped a few years ago in the middle of the Alvord and shot an arrow in the air too. It was at night with a glow stick attached to it. In the morning I went out to retrieve it and laying a foot from my arrow was a stone arrowhead. I often wondered if an Indian had done the same with his bow years ago.....

im proud of you guys for doing this, dad. Go Beavs!

I really liked this. Nice work.

Thanks for the educational part of this video I earned something new today. The closest place that looks very similar to this place is the Black Rock in Gerlach and starting to get busy due to the Burning man.

Really interesting and i really enjoyed Keegan & Louis!

Really interesting how in all that vastness, there’s only ONE bird. That’s right ladies and gentlemen...ONE BIRD. you know why there’s only one bird? Because the GOVERNMENT DOESNT NEED DRONES THERE. That said, you guys do a really great job capturing the energy of the desert. My boyfriend and I went on vacation once and we had a great time.

I remember seeing this close to when it initially came out, now i'm living in Idaho temporarily so i'm hoping we hit up this spot shortly.

Nice one! I've contemplating taking my camera there in the near future because it seems quite removed from the pandemic and super easy to social distance from EVERYTHING.

You feel lost driving down gravel roads, then you come over a hill and catch a glimpse and the second hill boom you see the big flat. On the flat even driving at 70 or 80 the other side draws close slowly. I was there in the 90's , went there with a buddy to look for geodes and what not but a storm came in with high winds and we split. Some minor caves got explored on the hill but that was it.

Cool documentary!

Great video, I love the style.

I have spent many months exploring the Steens as well as Foster Flat, Jackass and some of the Alvord. I was looking forward to the video until the avocado burger was exposed without meat! That was it, I shut it down!

Brilliant.

Crazy beautiful 👍 great video 🙏

I would recommend background music/voice over for all your shots. It keeps my ears stimulated personally. Remember, HALF of a film is audio! Good luck making more!

Loved it

Never new Oregon had a desert

Nicely done

I first visited in 1979, and several times subsequently. We were told the pools and shelter were constructed illegally by a group from OSU. The changing room appears to have fallen down and what was all that development on the way in? No fees then either. Out on the desert itself we visited a borax lake that was a murky blue cone disappearing into hazy depths. No one wanted to go in, but I did. It was a little creepy in there. There is a smaller mystery pool at Ruby Hotsprings in Nevada. I looked for the borax lake on Google Earth but was unable to find it. It was on the old USGS topo maps. Is it still there?.

The north end of the playa tends to stay wetter. I believe it’s because of the prevailing winds.

Fine work

That part of oregon is interesting. I still wish someone could do a documentary of Freemont national forest about the plants and animals that is in that area of oregon. To actually get video of whatever animal or plants that is there. Even the insects. What kind is there? Any insects or animals that are a mix between desert and forest creatures? Seems like a unique area with little information about it.

Yo this good

Nice job

nice hats guys!

I'm shocked by the fact that there's a desert in Oregon!

Very science museum feel to it

Trying to get a sense of the size of the area that was used to the rocket car speed test last year. About how many miles Long was the stretch was used would you know it? 3-4 miles maybe?

Where exactly did you camp? That looked nice and protected from the wind

It's as if Wes Anderson and Ken Burns had a baby.

Emptiest Place in Oregon!!!! it is now 2024 and even 4 years ago it was anything but empty. RU-vid videos and other media have made it known world wide. I fear this once pristine area will be forever ruined by the increasing use. Use to travel the length of highway 205 without seeing another vehicle. Not now. Also we stopped at Fields on our way through there recently. Been having a hamburger and malt there since it was a tiny store with sparsely stocked shelves and a grill at one end. Décor has gone upscale. Meal quality down, and the price for hamburgers, fries, and malts for two plus a tip which was actually for, was way up - $50. Service was no where near what it was before becoming known world wide. Last time for us.

i need a date of travel please

The natives would Harass the traveling settlers???? Logic alone would suggest you reconsider the words... We should all be considerate of the truth and perpetuate non truths.

Why are you shooting with bow and arrow? Don't shoot animals.

Why do hipsters insist on calling dry lakes "playas"?

Very good.. Great!