Providing access to an excellent example of the sagebrush-steppe ecosystem, the Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway in Idaho lies on 103 miles of gravel and paved roads. Follow the byway through the habitats of more than 180 birds and mammal species. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a coyote, bighorn sheep, or badger. In addition to wildlife, the Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway also stretches alongside scenic geologic formations. Wonder at these monumental structures, plateaus, cliffs, and canyons, made from volcanic rock deposited over 8 million years ago and river systems still flowing today.

Navigating the Byway:

The byway can be accessed on the east side, approximately 60 miles southwest of Boise. Just south of Grand View, ID, on State Highway 78, turn southwest on to the Mud Flat Road. The road travels in a generally westerly direction, before turning north along the Idaho-Oregon border. Follow the main road until the byway ends in Jordan Valley, OR. Jordan Valley is approximately 80 miles southwest of Boise, on U.S. Highway 95.