Harney County is situated in south eastern corner of Oregon. Harney includes the furthermost northwestern tip of the Great Basin. The county is geographically in the Pacific Northwest, although it represents little of what many people imagine the region to be like. The western side of the Cascade Mountain Range is the part of the state that many people think of when speaking of Oregon; very wet, green, and lushish. However, the Cascades create a very large block on clouds carrying precipitation, thus making the eastern side of the Cascades much drier and arid. This further explains why Harney County is in the High Desert, that and the fact that much of the region is above 4000 to 5000 feet above sea level.
Harney County covers vast amounts of land from Nevada and halfway up to Washington. The county is one of the largest in the US, covering 10,228 square miles, an area that is larger than some East Coast states. The geography of the county is very diverse, but a common trait is that it is very arid. At the southern end of the county it is much like a desert, hense the name High Desert. Harney County cannot be thought of as just a region of desert and small shrubs, a large chunk of the county is covered by vast forests of Ponerosa Pine and Fir varities. The logging industy was once a great source of revenue to the county but the large Edward Hines Mill has been shut down since the late 1980's. Since the close of the mill Harney County's population has been in steady deline. Another leading industry that is still successful in Harney is the cattle ranching industry. Harney covers thousands of square miles of rangeland that makes it ideal for grazing.
Actually Harney is strong in many different aspects of agriculture, from cattle and sheep to hay production and alfalfa growing. All of the small rural communities are hubs for the agricultural communities that they are surrounded by. In Harney it is not uncommon to have to drive an excess of 5 miles just to meet your neighboor. Harney County brings a new view to the term wide open spaces.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Harney County
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Harney County - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Harney County hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Harney County Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
