Redmond–Bend Juniper State Scenic Corridor, State park corridor along Route 97 in Oregon.
The Redmond–Bend Juniper State Scenic Corridor is a set of ten unimproved parcels, totalling 352 acres, that the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department manages along U.S. Route 97 between Bend and Redmond. Route 97 bisects most parcels, so state land lies on both sides of the roadway. There are no trails, signs or facilities; survey markers are the only sign of state ownership.
The area was established in 1945 by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department to protect old-growth western juniper stands. The creation was part of efforts to boost tourism in the region.
The corridor's name comes from the western junipers along Route 97, many several hundred years old. The parcels serve only as a buffer of native high desert habitat, and the parks department has no plans to develop them. Pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, jackrabbits, ground squirrels and chipmunks live in and around the parcels, with warblers, woodpeckers, sage grouse, chukar partridges and golden eagles overhead.
Only one parcel has direct access from U.S. Route 97, and that entry point is unmarked, so it is hard to find along the highway. The other parcels are bordered by private land with no road connecting them to a public thoroughfare. No signs identify any parcel as state land; geological survey markers are the only markers. Hiking and nature viewing are the only permitted activities, and camping, hunting, motorcycles and off-road vehicles are banned.
Only one of the ten parcels has direct access from U.S. Route 97, and that entry point is unmarked. Geological survey markers, not signs, are the only way to identify the parcels as state land, so most visitors pass the corridor without knowing where it begins.
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