Zumwalt Prairie

Why You Should Visit
Zumwalt Prairie is North America's
largest remaining grassland of its type, and the largest Conservancy acquisition ever in Oregon. It is home to remarkable numbers of hawks, eagles and other wildlife.

Location
Near the Snake River and Hells Canyon
in northeast Oregon

Size
33,000 acres (51 square miles)

How to Prepare for Your Visit
For more information, please see our Preserve Visitation Guidelines.

Directions
There are three public access points for visitors to Zumwalt Prairie Preserve. View and download directions and a trail map. If you would like to visit another part of Zumwalt Prairie Preserve, please call our Portland office at 503 802-8100, or send an email to oregon@tnc.org.

What to See: Plants
Two at-risk plant species are found here, Indian ricegrass and Spalding's campion, the latter of which is federally listed as a threatened species.

What to See: Animals
Abundant ground squirrels and other prey support one of the highest known concentrations of breeding hawks and eagles in North America. Ferruginous and Swainson's hawks, on the decline throughout the West, thrive here, along with golden eagles, redtails, roughlegged hawks and prairie falcons. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse, once extirpated from Oregon, are being reintroduced at Zumwalt Prairie by state wildlife officials in partnership with private landowners.

Large mammals found on the prairie include elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and bobcat. Snake River steelhead, federally listed as a threatened species, spawn in the preserve's 51 miles of intermittent and perennial streams, as do inland redband trout.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Studying Zumwalt Prairie's ecosystem for nearly 20 years led The Nature Conservancy to protect this great place, because of its size and concentrations of wildlife.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
In 2000, The Nature Conservancy purchased 42 square miles (about 27,000 acres) of Zumwalt Prairie, the largest single Oregon acquisition in the organization's 50-year history. In 2006, the Conservancy purchased an additional 6,065 acres, making the preserve Oregon's largest private nature sanctuary.

Since acquiring the preserve, Conservancy ecologists have learned much about Zumwalt's natural history and ecology, including:

48 species of butterflies and 17 species of grassland songbirds, including grasshopper sparrows, a species of concern;
increasing numbers of Snake River steelhead redds (spawning nests) over previous years in Camp Creek, the preserve's main tributary;
removal or repair of several instream reservoirs acting as barriers to redband trout;
a new study of nesting raptors by OSU researcher Pat Kennedy is replicating and expand the original research done by Marcy Houle 23 years ago, recounted in her book Prairie Keepers, which put Zumwalt Prairie on the map as world-class haven for birds of prey;
a detailed noxious weed survey of nearly half the preserve to inform planning and actions to stem the spread of invasives. A grant from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and support from Wallowa County will go to restoring native bunchgrass prairie in key areas.

Signals from Space Guide Ecological Study and Action