Burma Rim facts for kids

A wide view of the Burma Rim

Parts of a plane crash

Burma Rim is a special natural area in the high desert of Lake County, Oregon. It sits between Christmas Valley, Oregon and Wagontire, Oregon. Long, long ago, during the Ice Age (called the pleistocene era), this rim was actually the shoreline of a huge lake!

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) looks after Burma Rim. This area covers about 90,397 acres. It includes steep cliffs and old volcanic rock. Burma Rim is about 10 miles southeast of Summer Lake, Oregon. You can reach it using off-road vehicles. It's a place with interesting history, including the remains of two old military planes.

Plane Crashes at Burma Rim

More plane wreckage

A plaque for the P-38 crash

A plaque for the A-6 crash

Burma Rim is home to the wreckage of two military planes. These crashes happened many years ago.

One plane was a Lockheed P-38 Lightning. This was a famous fighter plane from World War II. It crashed in February 1945 during a training flight. Sadly, the pilot, Max J. Clark, did not survive.

Another plane was a U.S. Navy Grumman A-6 Intruder bomber. This plane crashed in 1973 during a low-flying training exercise. Both men in the plane died. The crash left a lot of debris scattered around.

On June 14, 2007, the BLM officially recognized these crash sites as historic places. They put up special plaques to remember the people who died there.

Geography of Burma Rim

Burma Rim is located near several lakes, including Hatch Lake, Dead Horse Lake, and World Lake. The rim itself runs along the eastern edge of the area. It is next to Sheep Rock at its southern end.

The area does not have any rivers or streams that flow all the time. Instead, it has several "playa" lake beds. These are dry lake beds that can sometimes fill with water after it rains.

The land at Burma Rim is mostly flat. It has a gentle slope. The western side has the large, west-facing Burma Rim cliffs. In the middle, there is a big, shallow basin. The edges of the area also have smaller basins.

The main plants you will see are desert sagebrush and different kinds of grasses. The elevation of Burma Rim is about 4,731 feet (about 1,442 meters) above sea level. This area is very important for a bird called the Greater Sage-Grouse. It is a critical habitat for them.

Wildlife at Burma Rim

Burma Rim is home to many different animals. You can find mammals, birds, and reptiles living here.

Mammals

• Pronghorn (a fast deer-like animal)
• Mule Deer
• Coyote
• Bobcat
• Kangaroo Rat
• Bushy-tailed Woodrat
• Black-tailed Jackrabbit
• Kangaroo Mouse
• Desert Cottontail (a type of rabbit)
• Feral Horses (wild horses)

Birds

Many types of birds live in or visit Burma Rim. Some common ones include:

• Greater Sage-Grouse
• Golden Eagle
• Northern Harrier
• Red-tailed Hawk
• Black-billed Magpie
• Chipping Sparrow
• Brewer's Sparrow
• Lark Sparrow
• Dark-eyed Junco
• Ferruginous Hawk
• Violet-green Swallow
• White-crowned Sparrow
• Golden-crowned Sparrow
• Sagebrush Sparrow
• Rough-legged Hawk
• Killdeer
• Mourning Dove
• Barn Swallow
• Common Nighthawk
• Northern Flicker
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• American Kestrel
• Merlin
• Mountain Bluebird
• Brown-headed Cowbird
• Brewer's Blackbird
• House Finch
• Prairie Falcon
• Sage Thrasher
• Common Raven
• Horned Lark
• Tree Swallow
• Cliff Swallow
• Rock Wren
• Vesper Sparrow
• Lazuli Bunting
• Western Meadowlark
• American Robin
• Gray Flycatcher
• Say's Phoebe
• European Starling
• Western Kingbird
• American Pipit

Reptiles

You might also spot some reptiles:

• Fence Lizard
• Sagebrush Lizard
• Pygmy Horned Lizard
• Gopher Snake
• Western Rattlesnake