Leslie Gulch, Oregon’s Little Utah

Views for days! At the end of Juniper Gulch Trail

Leslie Gulch is surprising ancient canyon full of red rock amphitheaters, jaw-dropping hikes and vistas. It is truly one of Oregon’s unknown treasures and I encourage you to go discover and explore it for yourself and here’s why.

Spending four years of my life living two hours away from Moab Utah really made me appreciate the lizard life. 

You know, running around on red rock, exploring the desert, looking for a sunny spot to warm up in and then quickly finding shade as I overheat. It’s kind of the best life being a lizard.

Now I live in Oregon, and let’s be honest, it’s not known for its sunny warm weather, even where I call home in Central Oregon.

But this Spring I found my lizard grounds in Leslie Gulch. 

Leslie Gulch is located in Southeastern Oregon and is a Wilderness Study Area with insanely cool and unique geology.  It’s remote and takes about six hours to get to from Bend and about eight hours from Portland, but it’s so worth it!

Why go to Leslie Gulch? For its epic hiking, panoramic views, red stone amphitheaters and other-worldly honeycomb red rock make Leslie Gulch Oregon’s Little Utah. 

So, grab your camera, hiking shoes and sunscreen because we’re heading to Leslie Gulch for some relaxing lizard life.

Getting there from Bend:  

From Bend Oregon it’s about a 6 hour drive. You’ll follow HWY 20 East for about two hours (130 miles) and at Burns you’ll head south on Hwy 78 for another 1.5 hours (92 miles). You’ll then take Hwy 95 East for about an hour (64 miles) until you hit Succor Creek road. It’s a dirt road but maintained. You’ll drive just over an hour (24 miles) and this is the best part of the drive coming into Leslie Gulch!

Oh the views! The drive into Leslie Gulch

Best time to go:

Spring and Fall are the best seasons to visit. Summers can get unbelievably hot and make for tough camping and hiking. 

Camping:

There is one campground in Leslie Gulch, Slocum Creek Campground. I admit, this free first come first served campground isn’t much to look at, but its 10 sites offer incredible views of the canyon! There is a pit toilet, but no running water or trash service. 

I recommend going on a weekday, avoiding holidays and getting there around 11am for the best chanced of grabbing a spot. Slocum Creek is open March through November.

The view from Slocum Creek Campground.

Hiking:

Hiking is the best way to experience Leslie Gulch! It gets you up close and personal with panoramic views and red cathedrals. The three main hikes are easy to moderate with low miles. But they are spectacular, and you can easily do all three in one or two days. 

Juniper Gulch trail gives you everything and if you only have time for one hike, then this is a great choice. On this 1.6 mile hike you’ll start out winding through a sandy wash that’s enclosed in gorgeous overhanging red rock walls. 

After some time of exploring and looking at every cool cliff wall, you’ll start hiking along a ridgeline that will take you into the amphitheater of red rocks. This is the best part and make sure to put your phone in panorama photo mode. 

You’ll be rewarded with rock spires, steep canyon walls and stunning views of the trail and valley below. This also makes for a nice stop to drink some water, explore a few side trails and soak up some sun.  

You’ll head back to the parking lot the same way you came. This is an easy trail with gradual elevation gain and nothing very technical, so it’s great for all abilities. 

A lizard living its best life.

Dago Gulch is the easiest trail and most of the time you’re following a jeep road. But don’t let that bore you because like everything in Leslie Gulch, there’s always something to see.

This out and back 1.6 mile trail will lead you into more spectacular red rock, spires, canyons and amazing views. If you’re going with non-hikers, or your dog or just want a super mellow trail then Dago is a no-brainer. 

Red rock amphitheater and a great shady spot at Timber Gulch.

Timber Gulch is my personal favorite because of its low usage and a jaw-dropping red rock amphitheater. I mean it’s seriously breathtaking! 
Unlike Juniper and Dago, there is no marked trailhead and large parking area. But don’t worry, I’ll tell you how to find it.

From the Slocum Creek CG turnout follow the road back out the canyon for 2.2 miles. On your left hand side, you’ll see a small parking spot, big enough for 2 vehicles. Park there and you’ll see a trail that leads off into the canyon. The trail can get overgrown, so I recommend long pants to avoid branch scratches and critter battles. 

The 1.2 mile out and back hike will lead you up into Timber Gulch, is the steepest of all the hikes and I would rate it as moderate. You’ll follow along a wash and although the trail isn’t used as much as Juniper and Dago, it’s pretty easy to follow, especially in the spring when plants aren’t as overgrown. 

On the Timber Gulch hike, you’ll have a nice climb up into the gulch and when you get there, holy cow is it spectacular! Massive red rocks and cliffs the size of downtown buildings will surround you. You’ll also see side trails to go explore if you’re feeling adventurous and ok with scaling rocks. 

Spend some time here, take some photos, shout and hear your echo and think about what life was like here a 1000 years ago. And find a nice rock to lounge on and strike your best lizard pose. 

Leslie Gulch is a must not miss travel destination in Oregon. And if you’re up for a little camping, hiking and road trip adventure then take a couple of days here and explore until your heart’s content.