Oregon Route 31

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For the unsigned Highway 31, see Albany-Corvallis Highway.

Oregon Route 31

Length:

120.57 mi (194.04 km)

South end:

US 395 in Valley Falls

North end:

US 97 near La Pine

Oregon highways (lists: Routes - Highways)
< US 30		OR 34 >

Oregon Route 31 is an Oregon state highway that runs between the Central Oregon cities of La Pine and Lakeview. It consists of most of the Fremont Highway No. 19 (see Oregon highways and routes), named after John C. Fremont. The entire length of OR 31 is part of the Outback Scenic Byway, though the byway extends further south beyond the end of OR 31, to the California border.

1 Route description
- 1.1 Cities and towns along the route
2 Major intersections
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Route description

Northern Terminus of OR 31 looking south. Sign suggests next towns will be a while.

OR 31 runs in a northwest-southeast direction, but is signed north-south. The northern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with U.S. Route 97 near the town of La Pine. From there, the highway heads east then southeast, passing nearby several natural attractions such as Fort Rock State Natural Area, Hole-in-the-Ground and Summer Lake. Near the southern end of Abert Lake, and north of Lakeview, the highway ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 395. A previous routing from a 1916 map shows the highway's northern terminus near Millican on US 20, proceeding down USFS Road 25, then OR 18 through Fort Rock through Silver Lake.

The highway is a 2-lane, rural road for its entire length. The grades are generally gentle. It begins north of Lakeview at Valley Falls^[1] in the Great Basin drainage of Abert Lake and passes in to the Summer Lake basin,^[1] and from there ascends a short but steep rise over Picture Rock Pass into the Silver Lake basin. Finally, it gently and almost imperceptibly departs the Silver Lake basin and arrives at La Pine which is in the headwaters area of the Deschutes River.