Can my rental car handle roads around Frenchglen?

I%26#39;m considering driving from Boise down 95 to Burns Jct, up 78 to Princeton, then driving past the round barn to Frenchglen, then over the dirt road to the Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge, then Plush, and finally Lakeview.

First question: if I have a midsize rental car, will I be ok on these dirt roads?

Second, is the route I described above too much for one day? I know it will be a long day of driving, but do you think it could be done in about 10 hours, including limited sightseeing? I learned to drive in West Virginia, so i%26#39;m pretty good on curvy mountain roads.

Can my rental car handle roads around Frenchglen?

When are you doing this?

You could probably do that in a day but those are bumpy desert roads, and probably dusty. Ihave not been all of route you plan but parts of it. If city person I would say forget it but you as Mountaineer you can probably handle it, better clean the rental car before you turn it in

Good road to Frenchglen

Can my rental car handle roads around Frenchglen?

I%26#39;ll be there in mid-september. If it%26#39;s been rainy, i%26#39;ll probably switch to alternate plans, since the road would probably be much messier.

thanks for the info!

Definetly we need to know when you are going...

If you are going in the summer *should* be ok. Water can change these roads into %26#39;gumbo%26#39; a muddy mess and you wont be going anywhere, especally if you don%26#39;t have 4X4- and even if you do!

I spent quite a bit of time over in this area...but I haven%26#39;t been on the road from Frenchglen to Hart. If it is like the %26#39;main%26#39; roads that I have been on you *should* be ok. One thing I will say on these dirt roads- plan on 40mph or less on teeth-rattlin%26#39; pot-holed washboards(its only fun for the first 10 miles!!). The area out here is very desolate- plan on being very, very self reliant(extra spare tire(s), no phone service, BLM maps, water, i.e. don%26#39;t plan on seeing anyone).

Have you been to this area before? Maybe for the first time you could do a pavement tour? I don%26#39;t want to douse your sense of adventure, but I dont%26#39; want you to get in over your head. I would call the BLM office that serves that area(don%26#39;t know if it is Burns or Lakeview) and ask them-they would be the best contact.

I%26#39;m pretty conservative on my time-this is alot to do in one day- especially if you are going from Boise to Lakeview. You definetly don%26#39;t want to bumping around on dirt roads out in the middle of nowhere in the dark especially if you don%26#39;t know where you are going. Unless you see this as an adventure!

Good Luck!!

Other poster makes very good point. Don%26#39;t be out there in dark in unfamiliar country. 60 miles of dirt or gravel road west from Frenchglen then another 40 miles of fairly good road through Plush on in to Lakeview. get an early start. 3 hours at least after you leave Frenchglen probably more.

And take plenty of water. Break down possible and traffic may be none late in day.

From BLM Back Country Byway site.

In Oregon, there are 15 Back Country Byways and they are a combination of both Type 1 and Type 2 byways. Type 1 byways have a paved or all-weather surface. Normal passenger cards can easily negotiate the roads. They are usually narrow, slow-speed, secondary roads. Type 2 byways are usually unpaved but often have an improved gravel surface. They require high-clearance trucks or four-wheel drive vehicles, although passenger cars may be able to negotiate them under good conditions. They have occasional steep grades and sharp curves. Please contact the appropriate District office to inquire about road conditions.

Following is a list of the Oregon byways by geographic region:

Southeast Oregon

Lakeview to Steens Back Country Byway - This Type 1 %26amp; Type 2 byway travels ninety miles across Oregon%26#39;s high Great Basin Desert through a variety of ecosystems from Sonoran to Hudsonian, past great shallow lakes and wetlands in Warner Valley, and over Hart Mountain, a dramatic fault-block mountain. For more information, contact the Lakeview District Office.