Revision as of 15:40, 17 October 2018

Looking to Alkali Butte, Prineville Reservoir State Wildlife Area (bobcat)

Green-banded mariposa (Calochortus macrocarpus), Prineville Reservoir (bobcat)

View west along the Prineville Reservoir (bobcat)

Tansy-leaf evening primrose (Taraxia tanacetifolia), Prineville Reservoir (bobcat)

The hike to Jasper Point, Prineville Reservoir State Park (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Google Maps

• Start point: Prineville Reservoir Trailhead
• End Point: Jasper Point Trailhead
• Trail Log:
• Hike Type: In and out
• Distance: 4.0 miles
• Elevation gain: 315 feet
• High Point: 3,385 feet
• Difficulty: Easy
• Seasons: All year
• Family Friendly: Yes
• Backpackable: No
• Crowded: No

Description

The Bowman Dam, completed in 1961, backs up the Crooked River south of Prineville and creates a reservoir 15 miles long. The area is popular with boaters, fishermen, and those who love water sports. The two parts of the Prineville Reservoir State Park here (The acreage is leased from the Bureau of Reclamation) are connected by a two-mile trail that crosses the Prineville Reservoir State Wildlife Area, so if you need to stretch your legs, a walk along the juniper slopes above the lake will take you away from the crowds.

Hike up across the parking area to a lush, juniper-shaded lawn. A paved trail will take you to Loop C of the campground. Stay right and join Loop B. Just past a sign for the Deluxe Cabins, you’ll see a trailhead sign. The trail leads away above the reservoir on a slope of western juniper and low sagebrush. After rising a little, you’ll drop into a gully. The sound of motorboat engines on the reservoir will always accompany you on this hike. Bright green wold lichen decorates the limbs of dead junipers. Drop to cross another shallow gully. The road to Jasper Point is just above the trail. Hike above a small beach, and than pass in and out of a draw. At the next draw, the trail leads up to a viewpoint off the road. Drop into two more gullies. At the second one, a spur leads right to a grassy expanse next to the water. In late spring and early summer, a carpet of tansy-leaf evening primrose adds a splash of bright yellow to the expanse.

Hike above a colorful red bluff, and then swing away from the reservoir at another grassy draw. The trail crosses a peninsula under powerlines in a juniper/low sagebrush parkland. Pass through a fence,a nd then go left to cross a paved road to reach the entrance to the Jasper Point area of the state park. You can walk down to the water at the Jasper Point Trailhead and then return the way you came.

Fees, Regulations, etc.

• Picnic area, campgrounds, boat launch

Maps

• Maps: Hike Finder
• Prineville Reservoir Campground (Oregon State Parks)

Trip Reports

• Search Trip Reports for Jasper Point Hike

Related Discussions / Q&A

• Search Trail Q&A for Jasper Point Hike

Guidebooks that cover this destination

• Oregon State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide by Jan Bannan

More Links

• Prineville Reservoir State Park (Oregon State Parks)
• Jasper Point (Prineville Reservoir) (Oregon State Parks)
• Prineville Reservoir (USFS)
• Prineville Reservoir (Wikipedia)
• Arthur R Bowman Dam (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)
• Prineville Reservoir Resource Management Plan (U.S. Bureau of Reclamation)

Page Contributors

• bobcat (creator)