Beulah Reservoir & Hot Springs – Eastern Oregon

Beulah Reservoir, also known as Agency Valley Reservoir, is located in the Agency Valley at 3,600-foot elevation, 15 miles north of the small town of Juntura.

The 110-foot-high earth-fill Agency Valley Dam on the North Fork of the Malheur River was built in 1935. With a total capacity of 59,000 acre-feet, the reservoir receives drainage from 440 square miles, mostly from the North Fork of the Malheur River, covering 1,900 acres of the valley. No hydroelectric power is generated at the Agency Valley Dam.

The shoreline of the reservoir is managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Malheur County maintains a concrete boat ramp, a gravel parking area, and a vault restroom just above the dam. Beulah Reservoir provides great opportunities for a wide range of recreational activities including fishing, boating, water-skiing, camping, rockhounding, and even soaking in hot springs.

There are campgrounds and facilities for launching and mooring boats at the reservoir. Also, camping is available in the Chukar Park Recreation Site.

Fishing

The reservoir is open for angling year-round. A few times a year it is stocked with hatchery rainbow trout. Also, local whitefish, Dolly Varden and redband trouts are available.

Rockhounding

Rockhounding for fossilized leaves, fish fossils, agate, and jasper is available on the southeastern shore of the reservoir.

Chukar Park Recreation Site

A developed campground for tents, RVs, or trailers along the North Fork of the Malheur River, Chukar Park Recreation Site is managed by BLM. The park is located 6 miles north of Highway 20 and 9 miles south of the Beulah Reservoir.

Amenities: Toilets, potable water, picnic tables, fire rings, boat ramp
Fees: Yes for parking
Accommodations: 18 campsites
Camping reservation: First come - first served

Access allowed: Year-round

Directions to Chukar Park Recreation Site

The gravel road is good but it is advised that visitors opt for a 4x4 drive during rainy or snowy seasons. The camping and soaking are free. Beulah still needs a lot of re-engineering to become more convenient and comfortable for visitors, but if someone is looking for an isolated, magnificent area to enjoy all activities it offers, then this is the place worth visiting.

Open: Year-round, some road can be closed due to snow
Managed by: Bureau of Land management (BLM)
Amenities: Boat ramp, vault restroom

Activities: Camping, fishing, boating, and rockhounding
Day-use fees: None
Accommodations: 2 campsites along the shores; Camping at Chukar Park Recreation Site 9 miles south of the Beulah Reservoir

Elevation: 3,600 ft (1,097 m)

Beulah Reservoir is located:

15 miles north of Juntura
59 miles east of Burns
130 miles southwest of Salem
175 miles southwest of Portland.

Type: Reservoir
Surface area: 2,000 acres (810 ha)
Shoreline: 9.8 m
Agency Valley Dam Height: 110 ft (34 m)
Watercourse: North Fork of the Malheur River