Race prompts temporary closure of portions of Cline Buttes/Buckhorn Motorized Recreation Area

Prineville, Ore. — Portions of the Cline Buttes/Buckhorn Motorized Recreation Area will be closed Saturday, April 20, 2024, for the Technical Endurance Challenge hosted by Bend Racing. The racecourse will be closed at multiple points of entry for the safety of participants and the public. The start and end point for the race is the Buckhorn Staging Area.

Runners and bicyclists will race on portions of the off-highway vehicle trail systems on both sides of Highway 126 and the Cascade View Trail System, located west of Redmond. The closure will mostly affect the Buckhorn area, as participants traverse portions of trails 99, 93, 95, 85, 90 and Buckhorn Road. They will cross Highway 126 from Buckhorn to Barr Road, continue down Barr Road, and move into the Cascade View Trail System. Within the Cascade View Trail System, the race will use Blue Belly, Blue Belly Stem, and Stringer trails. 

OHV trails south of Highway 126, accessed from Barr Road North Staging Area, will not be closed. However,  the public should be aware of runners/bicyclists on Barr Road. Cascade View Trail System will not be closed during the race. Security will be staged at entrance points into the racecourse throughout the weekend. Flaggers and signage will also be present along both Buckhorn and Barr roads and staging areas. 

“We manage several hundred miles of trails within the Millican Plateau, North Millican, and South Millican OHV Trail Systems,” said Lisa Clark, Deschutes Field Office Manager. “This allows us the unique opportunity to permit a multi-sport race like this while also ensuring numerous other trails are still available to the public during the event.” 

Mountain bikers and hikers can use the nearby Maston trail use area. The Millican Valley OHV Trail System is an alternative site  for motorized use. It is  most easily from George-Millican Road south of Prineville.

The high-quality trails and facilities within the Cline Buttes/Buckhorn Motorized Recreation Area are collaboratively managed by the Central Oregon Combined Off Highway Vehicle Operations (COHVOPS). COHVOPS is a partnership which includes the Prineville District BLM, Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests, and Oregon Parks and Recreation ATV Program. 

For more information about the race, please visit Bend Racing’s website. For questions about the trail closures, please contact the Prineville District office at 541-416-6700.