In a desert canyon along the John Day River, this sprawling new state park is a windy place to camp, but a lovely place for a riverside hike, especially when cool afternoon shadows lengthen.

The park opened in 2013 on the old Murtha Ranch.  When you drive into the park, stop at the picnic area to see the ranch's restored barn, windmill, and corral, now decorated with art carved into the weathered boards.

The Murthas were Irish immigrants who prospered in the sheepraising boom from 1900-1920.  During World War I, millions of sheep were shipped out from the rail terminus in Shaniko to supply armied with wool uniforms and blankets.  After 1929, the Depression and synthetic fabrics killed the market for wool.  The counties in this part of Eastern Oregon, where people had been building opera houses, fancy hotels, and churches, became a long of ghost towns.  Today . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon