Leslie Gulch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Leslie Gulch |
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Leslie Gulch landscape in the spring
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| Location | Malheur County, Oregon, United States |
| Elevation | 2,684 ft (818 m) |
Leslie Gulch is a beautiful canyon in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It is located on the east side of Owyhee Lake. This lake is a large reservoir on the Owyhee River. Leslie Gulch is famous for its amazing rock formations. These rocks are made of a special material called tuff, which is rock formed from volcanic ash.
The gulch was named after a local rancher, Hiram E. Leslie. He was struck by lightning here in 1882. Before that, people called this area "Dugout Gulch."
Getting to Leslie Gulch can be an adventure! The last 15 miles (about 24 km) of the road are gravel and quite curvy. This means it takes a little extra time to reach this cool spot.
Contents
Exploring Leslie Gulch: Management and Activities
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) takes care of the Leslie Gulch area. They work to protect the land and make sure visitors can enjoy it safely.
Boating and Camping at Owyhee Lake
At the very end of the Leslie Gulch road, you will find a boat launching ramp. This ramp leads to Owyhee Lake. Sometimes, the water level in the lake can be low. When this happens, it might be hard to launch big boats. Smaller boats might need to be carried to the water by hand.
Close by, there is the Slocum Creek - Leslie Gulch Campground. This campground has 8 spots for camping. It is open from March through November. The road to the campground can sometimes have flash floods. These floods can wash out parts of the road, so it's good to check conditions before you go.
Discovering Life: Plants and Animals
Leslie Gulch is home to many interesting plants and animals. Some of them are very rare and special.
Unique Plants of Leslie Gulch
Two types of plants are found only in this area. They are called endemic plants.
- Ertter's ragwort (Senecio ertterae)
- Packard's blazingstar (Mentzelia packardiae)
Other rare plants that grow here include grimy ivesia. You might also find sterile milkvetch and Owyhee clover.
Wildlife in Leslie Gulch
A herd of bighorn sheep was brought here in 1965. Now, there are more than 200 of these animals living in the gulch. You can also spot other animals like mule deer and Rocky Mountain elk.
Predators such as coyotes and bobcats also live here. Be careful, as rattlesnakes are also residents of the gulch.
Many different kinds of birds make their homes in Leslie Gulch. These include quail and chukar. You might also see large birds like hawks flying overhead. Fast-flying swifts are also common.
Rock Climbing Adventures
The amazing rock formations at Leslie Gulch attract many rock climbers. The rock here is volcanic tuff. It is similar to the rock at Oregon's famous Smith Rock. However, the rock at Leslie Gulch is not quite as solid.
Climbing Routes and History
There are more than 80 climbing routes already set up at Leslie Gulch. Most of these are sport climbs. This means they have fixed ropes and bolts for safety. There are also a few traditional climbs. These require climbers to place their own safety gear.
Some of the sport climbing routes have holds that were made by people. For example, the "Einstein" and "Asylum" walls have many routes with human-drilled pockets. This activity caused a temporary stop to new route development. The BLM even considered removing some bolts. However, the bolts are still there, and the BLM allows climbing to continue.
Images for kids
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Juniper Gulch, located roughly five miles from Slocum Creek Campground in Leslie Gulch. June 2018.
External Links
- YouTube Videos of the area [1] and [2]
- Flickr Picture [3]
