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Rajneeshee

5 Star Route / Antelope, Oregon / Published: Jul 2023 / Directions
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The start - Grandma's Cafe.
Store should re-open soon.
The old historic school house in Antelope.
The old historic school house in Antelope.
The stick of the lollipop
The stick of the lollipop
The road just traversed
The road just traversed
Big views!
Big views!
Nearing the John Day river.
Nearing the John Day river.
On Big Muddy road heading towards the Rajneeshparump compound.
On Big Muddy road heading towards the old Rajneeshpuram compound.
The Washington Family ranch entrance. Private. Please respect.
The Washington Family Ranch entrance. Private. Please respect.
The beginning of the long and demanding climb out from the Rajneeshparump compound.
The beginning of the long and demanding climb out from the Rajneeshpuram compound.
Nearing the stick of the lollipop.
Nearing the stick of the lollipop.
Paved! Back to Antelope.
Paved! Back to Antelope.
*
Route:
Lollipop | 60 mi
*
Gain:
6,495 ft
*
Surface:
~ 55% gravel / 45% paved
*
Technical Difficulty:
Very Demanding
*
Navigation:
Attention Required
*
Locale:
Extremely Remote
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Tire Suggestion:
40 mm+
*
Options:
---

Wild! Rugged! Remote! In our opinion, this is one of the best Oregon outback rides in the state. This is a route we have been researching since early 2017 when we first published Ghost of Ashwood and Donnybrook.

Wild. In a single ride of this route, we saw antelope, coyotes, deer, hawks, and snakes. Rugged. Rutted roads, stream crossings, goat heads, wind, sand, and sun exposure. Your fortitude will be tested. Remote. There is virtually no cellphone coverage and no services along the route.

The route starts and ends in the town of Antelope, Oregon, which was famously occupied by the Rajneesh cult in the 1980s – a story recounted in the critically acclaimed Netflix docuseries Wild Wild Country. The Rajneeshpuram ranch property is now owned by Washington Family Ranch Young Life Camp. The route passes by this private ranch property as well as the location of the old mercury-mining ghost town of Horse Heaven. You may not even notice it though because you’ll be so smitten with the huge sky, rolling hills, basalt canyons, and fragrant sagebrush.

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Map
Brown = gravel / dirt road
Blue = single track
Red = paved road
Purple = paved bike path
GPX Download   Version 1.1

Highlights & Remarkable Spots

Goatheads / Miles 0 to 60

Goathead seeds. Image by USDA via https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=TRTE

The dreaded goathead or puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris) is a cyclist’s nightmare (especially if not running tubeless!) and a Class B noxious weed in Oregon. It’s thought to have arrived here in the 1920s in wool from the Mediterranean. It’s not all bad though! Some studies show it may improve angina symptoms, help with infertility, and (wait for it) enhance athletic performance. The irony! Learn more at the USDA.

Antelope, Oregon / Miles 0 and 60

The old Antelope School. Image by Oregon State Archives, 2009 via https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ghost/Pages/agriculture-antelope.aspx

Settled in the 1870s and incorporated as a town in 1901, Antelope was a railroad boom and bust town, before coalescing into a quiet ranching town of several dozen people for 80 years. That all changed in 1981 when the infamous Rajneeshee cult established a community compound of over 7,000 people at Big Muddy Ranch just a few miles from town, quickly establishing dominance over Antelope infrastructure and government and changing Antelope’s name to Rajneesh. Most longtime locals moved away. Criminal revelations in 1985 caused the cult to disband and leave the area. As of the 2021 census, the population of Antelope is back to a sleepy 38 people. [Oregon Secretary of State]

Former Site of Rajneeshpuram / ~ Mile 18

Rajneeshee cult members in Antelope. Image from Oregon Historical Society via https://sos.oregon.gov/archives/exhibits/ghost/Pages/agriculture-antelope.aspx

When the Rajneesh cult evacuated from Antelope in 1985, the remaining 34 residents of Rajneesh quickly voted to return the town name to Antelope. Rajneeshpuram (the cult’s commune at Big Muddy Ranch) fell into disrepair and was eventually turned over to state ownership. Oregon sold the land to a Montana billionaire who then donated it to a Christian organization. The Washington Family Ranch Young Life Camps now occupies the property which is private and not open to the public. Please respect their property and stay on route. [Oregon Secretary of State]

Horse Heaven / ~ Mile 34

Unprotected Horse Heaven mine portal. Image by ITRC via https://projects.itrcweb.org/miningwaste-guidance/cs11_horse_heaven.htm

The ghost town of Horse Heaven once had a population of about 100 people and a 40-acre mercury mine. Thought to be named for herds of wild horses occupying the area, Horse Heaven’s mining activity spanned from the 1930s to the 1950s before being shuttered. Any remaining structures are situated on private property inaccessible to the public. Remediation work has been ongoing at the mine site to secure unprotected portals and open glory holes. It is definitely advised not to go wandering off-route in this area and instead just observe from the road. [Interstate Technology Regulatory Council]

Credits & Acknowledgements

This route was independently discovered in the 2010s by Our Mother the Mountain and Dirty Freehub. Our Mother the Mountain provides a detailed description of the route on their website. It’s important to note that the version documented by Our Mother the Mountain differs slightly from the one presented here: it has a dogleg out to the John Day River, runs in the opposite direction and does not include updates for the newly paved sections.

Ride Details

When We Like to Ride This

Spring or Fall. There is no reliable water on the route so we feel it’s best to avoid the hottest months.

Terrain & Riding

What makes this route so cool is also what also makes it higher risk. Isn’t that always the way? Be prepared for high exposure to wind and sun. Sand pits and very rough roads are likely. You will be well-served by tubeless tires at least 40mm or wider. Goatheads (aka puncturevine) are prolific in the area, even on the roads. There is almost no cell signal along the entire route. Be prepared to handle mechanical, medical, and navigational issues with no support. We highly recommend an SOS tracking device like a Garmin InReach or a SPOT.

You’ll roll out of Antelope on pavement for the first 4 miles on the lollipop stick of the route. The Washington Family Ranch at around mile 20 is private property and not open to the public so their rights should be respected and their private roads avoided. This can be accomplished by simply staying on-route. After passing the ranch, the roads may be rutted and coarse with several stream crossings as you then roll through the abandoned mercury mining district of Horse Heaven at around mile 34 and reach the intersection of Gosner and Divide roads at around mile 44. This 24-mile section is the most demanding of the day.

Keep some gas in the tank for the next 12 miles of punchy rollers and probable headwinds. With four miles to go, you’ll be back on the paved lollipop stick heading into Antelope.

The Start

Lat / Long: 44.910460, -120.722861

At the new Antelope Market and campground.

Food & Water

  • None. We DO NOT recommend filtering water on this route or using spigots along the way. You should assume that the water is tainted from agricultural runoff and cattle.
Notes & Options

Route Notes

  1. March 2024. This texture and demand of this route has changed significantly since 2023. Wasco county paved the sector into the Muddy Creek Ranch / Rajneeshee compound. Thus, this route is no longer as demanding as it once was. But … it is still a great ride!

Comments

Have you ridden this route? Got a question? Join the discussion!

Videos

How the Rajneesh Cult Overran Antelope

What exactly happened when the Rajneesh cult took over Antelope, Oregon?

Podcasts

All About Basalt with the Rock Doctor

You will find these rocky columnar cliffs in Eastern and Central Oregon, but what exactly happened to form these unique structures? In this podcast, we talk with our resident rock doctor, Dr. Kim Ely.

Be Informed!

Cows in the road

Cows!

This route crosses through open grazing lands where you may encounter cows and cattle. Learn how to handle this situation the right way. Whooping and hollering are not it!!

Read More »

Keep it Local! Learn More

Antelope RV Park

Antelope RV Park & Campsites

Can’t quite get enough of this part of Oregon? Lucky for all of us, a new bike-friendly RV park and campground is just starting up in Antelope. They even have an e-bike charging station! You can load up the camping gear and make a weekend of it.

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