For visitors to the Oregon Outback scenic byway, it may seem like they are in the middle of nowhere, yet occasionally, they’ll come across a small town that proves people actually do live here. Being a resident of the Oregon Outback, I’ve noticed the scenic byway signs along OR-31 and felt proud to live in such a destination. The official route starts just south of LaPine, OR, where OR-31 intersects with US-97 and goes all the way to the southern border of California past the city of Lakeview. The total route is 171 miles and runs mostly through Lake County. Taking a turn on OR-31 from US-97 you’ll immediately notice a difference in traffic. The hustle and bustle of city life suddenly fade away as the highway dissects the beautiful forest surroundings. This will be the last of the forest you’ll see, as the remainder of the route after 30 miles of forest is a wide open high desert landscape. Before the forest ends, there is a side road going to the Hole in the Ground attraction you