Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

An old homestead sits on the side of County Road 5-14C, one of many back roads that lead through Christmas Valley.

At first glance, Christmas Valley looks barren.



From lonely county roads that lead through the dusty sagebrush prairie, this slice of central Oregon seems positively empty. The town of Christmas Valley (population 1,313) is little more than a few small restaurants, a pair of motels and a gas station.



But spend a few days driving the bumpy gravel roads that lead off in all directions, and you'll find a pocket of fascinating natural attractions: cracks, craters, sand dunes and volcanic glass.



Some are well-established recreation sites with amenities nearby, but most remain relatively obscure. These are not places you stumble upon, but places you actively seek out. It takes real initiative to discover Christmas Valley.



It also takes good directions, or a device with GPS. On a recent two-day tour of the area, we found surprisingly good cell service that guided us through. That said, our printout of directions was a vital resource in the few moments without connection, and I was certainly glad to have it.



I was also glad to have a car with four-wheel drive and patience wrought from years of driving Oregon's bumpy dirt and gravel roads. A trip through Christmas Valley can be gratifying, but it can also be exhausting. Just reaching these locations is an adventure, let alone exploring them once you're there.



But these hidden wonders of Christmas Valley seem to hold secrets in the empty silence of the desert. Walk the cracked playa and pick up fossils. Rummage through the brush and find shards of volcanic glass. There's a nagging feeling that something wondrous will emerge any moment, if only you explore a little deeper.



NOTE: Because these are remote destinations, it can be easy to get lost. The embedded Google maps and written directions below should help, but you can also find Bureau of Land Management maps online for the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes and Crack-in-the-Ground areas. Please take weather into consideration and avoid roads that are snowy or muddy.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

FORT ROCK

An imposing rock formation and Oregon state park site, Fort Rock is found on the western side of Christmas Valley, easily visible from the road. The rock is a naturally occurring tuff ring, a kind of volcanic crater that forms when hot magma meets cold groundwater.



It's also the site of a cave where archaeologists unearthed several pairs of sagebrush sandals confirmed to be about 10,000 years old – providing some of the earliest evidence for human occupation in North America.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

To get to Fort Rock, take Oregon Route 31 south from U.S. 97 just south of La Pine. After 29 miles, turn left onto County Road 5-11A. In 6.4 miles, turn left onto Cabin Lake Road, following signs for Fort Rock.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

CRACK-IN-THE-GROUND

An ancient volcanic fissure, Crack-in-the-Ground offers one of the most fascinating hikes in central Oregon. A dirt trail leaves the sagebrush behind and descends into the fissure, which measures two miles long, 15 feet wide and up to 70 feet deep. With colder air temperatures and a damp environment, walking through Crack-in-the-Ground is like exploring an open-air cave.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

To reach the Crack-in-the-Ground trailhead, head to the town of Christmas Valley and turn north onto Crack-in-the-Ground Road, found on the east side of town. Follow signs and continue on the gravel road for 7 miles. The parking area is on the left side of the road by a vault toilet.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

HOLE-IN-THE-GROUND

Another volcanic landmark with a literal name, Hole-in-the-Ground is a big explosion crater (known as a maar) in the middle of nowhere, measuring nearly a mile across. It's fascinating, though admittedly one of the least exciting stops in the area. If you like, you can also check out neighboring Big Hole.



To find Hole-in-the-Ground, take Oregon Route 31 south from U.S. 97 just south of La Pine. After 24 miles, look for signs leading to Hole-in-the-Ground on the left. Follow the bumpy forest roads to a viewpoint overlooking the crater.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

CHRISTMAS VALLEY SAND DUNES

When Oregonians think of sand dunes we tend to think of the Oregon coast. But way out in the desert of central Oregon is another set of dunes, covering 11,000 acres of land and reaching up to 60 feet high. It's a stunning scene, and an odd sight to find in central Oregon.



The Christmas Valley Dunes are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and open primarily for off-highway vehicles like ATVs and dirt bikes. Hikers can explore the dunes as well – with an eye out for any vehicles careening down the sand.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The best place to see the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes is at Juniper Camp, a primitive campground with great access to the dunes. To get there, drive east from the town of Christmas Valley on Christmas Valley Highway, then turn left onto County Highway 5-14D, also known as Fossil Lake Road. After 8 miles, turn right onto Lost Forest Lane. In 6 miles, look for signs to Juniper Camp on the right.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

FOSSIL LAKE

Fossil Lake is dry lakebed on the southeast side of the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes, well known among paleontologists as a site for fossils. The ancient lake that once filled the area is thought to have been 200 feet deep, but over time it slowly dried up, leaving behind the remains of many prehistoric animals that visited its shores.



Fossils of mammoths, dire wolves, giant beavers and more than 100 other species have been found there over time. It's a fascinating place, though it does require an off-trail hike to get there.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

To find Fossil Lake drive east from the town of Christmas Valley on Christmas Valley Highway, then turn left onto County Highway 5-14D, also known as Fossil Lake Road. After 8 miles, turn right onto County Road 5-14E, also known as Lost Forest Lane. After 1.7 miles turn right onto an unmarked dirt road and continue straight to a wooden gate and sandy parking area beneath the power lines. Follow the power lines south for .2 miles through a break in the fence and turn right. Walk southwest for .5 miles to reach the dry lakebed.

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Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management

LOST FOREST

Located on the northeast side of the Christmas Valley Sand Dunes, the Lost Forest is what remains of an ancient forest of ponderosa pines, which once covered much of the region. The sparse stand of trees is all by itself in the sagebrush prairie, and is another strange sight that seems to echo from another time.

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Courtesy of Bureau of Land Management

To reach the Lost Forest, drive east from the town of Christmas Valley on Christmas Valley Highway, then turn left onto County Highway 5-14D, also known as Fossil Lake Road. After 8 miles, turn right onto County Road 5-14E, also known as Lost Forest Lane. After 7.4 miles, continue on BLM Road 6151 into the forest.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

GLASS BUTTES

Rock hounds rejoice! Glass Buttes is one of Oregon's best places to find and (legally) gather shards of obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass. Obsidian is formed when lava cools without crystallizing, and it's been used by humans for thousands of years in pottery, arrowheads and even surgical scalpels. (You see the volcanic rock up close at the Big Obsidian Flow at nearby Newberry Volcano.)



Glass Buttes is a group of small volcanic peaks north of Christmas Valley, where visitors can find several large deposits of obsidian. The land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and open to hiking, camping, hunting and rock collecting. While serious rock hounds have their secret spots at Glass Buttes, casual collectors can stop at pull-outs not far from U.S. Route 20. There, shards of black and colorful obsidian litter the ground, glimmering in the desert sun.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

To find Glass Buttes, take U.S. Route 20 east from Bend. Between mile markers 76 and 77, look for an unmarked dirt road on the south side of the highway. Turn right and follow the main path, where you’ll find several pull-outs. There’s a good spot with a primitive campground 2.3 miles from the highway.

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--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB