Like a desert mirage, this National Natural Landmark rises huge out of the barren, immense flatness of Oregon's high desert. An enormous near-circle of towering jagged rock walls make it seem like a fort. Hike around and you'll soon realize it's even bigger than it looks! It's an old tuff ring set in what was a shallow sea in prehistoric times. As you walk around inside, imagine the early American Indians who canoed to and from what was then an island. Sandals found in a nearby cave are the oldest ever discovered, dating back around 9,350-10,500 years.
Tours of Fort Rock Cave are available by guided tour only. 2023 registration is open.
Acquired in 1962 by gift from Reuben A. and Norma Long and by lease and deed from Lake County and the U. S. Bureau of Land Management.