From Madras, US-26 veers farther away from the Cascades, crossing the Crooked River National Grasslands, which mark the geographical center of Oregon. Strolling the streets of Prineville (pop. 7,356), a town with a vivid heritage of cattle and sheep ranching, you’ll notice plenty of cowboy hats (or “gimme” caps, emblazoned with the logos of the wearer’s favorite fertilizer or tractor company) atop the heads of dusty citizens piloting dusty pickup trucks. It’s been a ripsnorter of a town since Barny Prine built his blacksmith shop and saloon here in 1868 following the discovery of gold in nearby hills. These days, the people of Prineville are ranchers, loggers, miners, and employees of the Les Schwab tire company, which has its HQ here, though tourism is slowly but surely taking its place as an economic force.
You can learn more about the region’s history at the A. R. Bowman Museum (closed Sun.; 541/447-3715), two blocks north of the landmark Crook County Courthouse at 246 N. Main Street. Two floors of exhibits include a campfire setup, a moonshine still, and a country store with a pound of Bull Durham tobacco. If you hanker after a sit-down meal, check out the Ochoco Inn and Cinnabar Restaurant (541/447-3880) at 123 E. 3rd Street, known for its generous and eclectic menu. Barr’s Cafe (541/447-5897), at 887 N. Main Street, serves coffee-shop food. Besides the Cinnabar Restaurant, the Ochoco Inn also has an inexpensive motel, and other lodging choices include the City Center Motel ($45–65; 541/447-5522), at 509 E. 3rd Street, in the middle of the city in the middle of the state, and eminently in the middle of the motel price range.
The drive along US-26 east of Prineville takes you up into the Ochocos, a low-slung gem of a mountain range once the heartland of the Paiutes. Seven miles from Prineville, US-26 skirts Ochoco Lake, a popular recreational reservoir with fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and a picnic bench or two for travelers—but not a lot of shade. The rest of the Ochoco Range, which reaches heights of nearly 7,000 feet, holds acres and acres of lovely meadows, clear streams, pristine pine forests, and views of the jagged Cascade Range, rising on the western horizon.
