Blackened trees and pink-hued brush and rocks – stained from fire retardant dropped last month – line the dirt road that leads into Juniper Ridge. The sprawling, undeveloped land on the outskirts of town functions as a campground for hundreds of houseless people, some who stay for a season and others who make it a home.
Along the trail, constructed camps, trailers and RVs offer a look at what living among the junipers is like. Some are occupied, others recently abandoned and charred, leaving behind remnants of scattered objects necessary for life off the grid.
Unlike tents that pop up and move around the cities of Bend and Redmond, the camps in Juniper Ridge – known by some as "Dirt World" – have a sense of permanence. Sculpted walkways, manufactured fencing and intricate structures make up many of the camps that house the people and animals of Juniper Ridge.
Hundreds of these established camps are scattered across the nearly 1,350-acre area on Bend's northern fringe, making it harder to visualize the now-inevitable movement of these households, which the City and County will soon enforce. The area consists of Deschutes County, City of Bend and private forest land. Camping for long periods of time is technically not allowed on any of this land.
While the ever-changing number of people living at Juniper Ridge has grown in recent years, their presence on the land remains controversial and a safety concern for many. Over the years, local officials have made a series of attempts to find a solution that provides safety for both the people in Juniper Ridge and the larger community. There have been numerous sweeps, votes in favor of managed camps and services like portable toilets and drinking water provided. As of today, problems persist.
Following the Mile Marker 132 Fire in August, which started on private property in Juniper Ridge, burned 78 acres, necessitated evacuations of nearby homes and threatened campsites within the area, residents bordering the encampments once again raised concerns. The fire burned dangerously close to a pesticide production plant. Firefighters dropped potent fire retardants on the landscape, painting it red. Swiftly, neighbors urged officials to act quickly to mitigate the risk of another fire and improve safety.
It wasn't the first close call to draw attention to the large encampment. A fire in 2020 sparked similar conversations, with City and County officials deliberating plans for the area.
Dry conditions, high heat and open camp fires in a forest prone to fire starts is a dangerous combination. There is also the concern for the safety of those living within the camps. Maulings by loose dogs are all too common. There are frequent drug busts. And of course, there's the hardship of living outdoors without access to clean water or sanitation services.
After the Mile Marker 132 Fire, the Bend City Council and Deschutes County Commissioners took an unprecedented step to address Juniper Ridge, together. In a joint meeting, the two governing bodies unanimously approved restricting camping in all areas of Juniper Ridge, except for a 170-acre parcel of land officials are calling a "temporary safe stay area."
Services at Juniper Ridge
Last week, we rode through Juniper Ridge to get an idea of what the camps, services and conditions look like.
Just off of Highway 97, the dirt road entrance to Deschutes County's side of Juniper Ridge immediately leads to one part of the encampment that the County provides services to. The service point is surrounded by clustered camps and right across from an area dubbed, "The Fishbowl," a hollowed out portion of the land that holds roughly half a dozen structures.
Deschutes County added the hygiene stations in 2023 to address public health and safety concerns. Deschutes County Commissioners allocated $200,000 for the services in June 2023 as a temporary fix. Now, there are three separate stations, each including portable toilets, drinking water stations, hand washing stations and dumpsters.
Since establishing these stations last year, the County has spent $229,000 and removed 131,000 pounds of trash, 118 "bio-buckets" and 879 tires. It's also cleaned up 39 abandoned camps. While the stations are likely not serving the entirety of the far-flung Juniper Ridge population, Shawn Blalack, a deputy with Deschutes County Sheriff's Office who frequently patrols the area, says since their addition, the camps nearby are noticeably cleaner.
In addition to its hygiene and trash services, the County also initiated a contract with a security service last year. A security officer patrols the area to identify safety concerns, connect people to resources and help to make sure fire safety rules are being followed.
Officials and officers frequently hand out fire extinguishers, and "No Open Flame" signs are posted throughout. But, on recent trip to Juniper Ridge, an individual we passed was outside of his RV, cooking over an open flame. The man said despite having an indoor stove, he wanted to cook outdoors because his girlfriend wanted BBQ chicken.
While small cooking devices and camping stoves are allowed even during fire restrictions in Deschutes County, it is unclear whether the majority of people in the area have access to these alternatives. A managed camp set-up – like the one the City and County now plan to establish – could offer safe places to cook for those without.
In addition to regular patrol services, officers from DCSO are often in the area, either passively patrolling or responding to calls for service. Blalack, a longtime officer with DCSO who is partially assigned to Juniper Ridge, noted service calls have increased in recent years. These calls, he said, range from mental health calls and domestic violence to theft, reports of fires and drug overdoses.
Bolstering services, including security, hygiene and case management, could help manage safety in the area, while making it easier for support service providers to progress people out of houselessness, according to Matt Stuart, real estate director with the City of Bend.
Failed Attempts
Before the vote to establish a temporary safe stay area earlier this month, other attempts to either establish managed camps or improve safety and public health concerns were proposed but not fully carried out. Following an RV fire in 2020, the City of Bend discussed plans to clear Juniper Ridge. In October 2020, the City planned to build an RV park and campground for people on the property, but determined it was not feasible at the time due to issues with set up and management costs, on-site services and timing.
In late July of this year, Deschutes County Commissioners approved an application for a risk reduction grant through the Oregon State Fire Marshal's office, which would focus the County's efforts on risk reduction through the creation of defensible space, limbing and brush removal, and fuel breaks to prevent potential fire spread. Then, the Aug. 2 blaze happened.
Plans are for the recently approved 'Temporary Safe Stay Area' to increase hygiene services while also providing more outreach services to help people move out of houselessness and into shelters. Though, historically, part of why Juniper Ridge and places like it were legally allowed to continue is because of court rulings.
In the 2019 case, Martin v. Boise, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court ruled that houseless people cannot be punished for sleeping on public property in the absence of adequate alternatives, or unless the law imposes "reasonable time, place and manner" restrictions. However, that decision was effectively overturned this summer when the Supreme Court decided that similar ordinances in Grant Pass prohibiting camping or parking overnight did not violate the Eighth Amendment's prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.
For now, the issue of regulations around public camping for people experiencing homelessness is left up to states and local municipalities. In 2021, the Oregon State Legislature enacted House Bill 3115 to clarify and expand on how cities can legally regulate public property concerning people experiencing homelessness. The bill, however, is not clear on its limits. It reads, "Any city or county law that regulates the acts of sitting, lying, sleeping or keeping warm and dry outdoors on public property that is open to the public must be objectively reasonable as to time, place and manner with regards to persons experiencing homelessness."
Bend's city ordinance, passed in 2023, sets stricter limits on time, place, and manner but also leaves exceptions up to the discretion of the city manager.
Within the City of Bend, 959 people experienced homelessness in 2024, according to the most recent Point in Time count. Shelters owned or supported by the City offer about 250 beds, leaving a substantial gap between what's available and the need. While City and County officials previously planned to sweep Juniper Ridge, on the grounds of creating a managed camp, those talks stalled out.
This joint agreement for the management of Juniper Ridge, the first of its kind, is meant to create better access to individuals living on the land, reduce fire risk near north Bend homes and increase services for the people who call it home. Officials say they will begin enforcing the new boundary on May 31, 2025 – ahead of the fire season. The newly drawn area will act as a "semi-managed" camp, keeping people within the boundaries and offering services such as case management.
The Relocation
Through patrols and providing services, local agencies and nonprofits have come to know a lot of individuals living at Juniper Ridge. There are mixed feelings about how this joint effort will play out.
Last week, after the joint meeting, Evan Hendrix, with Shepherd's House, told the Source Weekly that these situations often impact the service providers that frequent the area. For many providers with established relationships, they worry that displacing or relocating people will make it harder for them to reestablish contact.
As of Friday, Sept. 13, campers at Juniper Ridge hadn't been told of the forthcoming shutdown. In an area as big as Juniper Ridge, with numerous dispersed camps, the City and County are still figuring out how to assist people with moving, and how to enforce the new parameters once they are established.
"We know that that's going to be a challenge for us to work through," said Stuart with the City of Bend. "We have to work through the strategy of how we're going to enforce and who are our partners in doing so."
Stuart said he hopes to give notice to residents as soon as possible. He'd also like to see additional hygiene services established before signaling people to move within the new boundaries.
County Commissioner Phil Chang, while hopeful about the decision, sees a developed managed camp as the safest kind of outdoor shelter. The camp that is currently planned in the safe stay area will act as a "semi-managed" camp, as it does not have the full spectrum of services and management.
"It remains to be seen for me whether you can do the service provision efficiently in that kind of dispersed setting," he said
Stuart often visits Juniper Ridge to check in with neighbors, address safety concerns, hand out fire extinguishers and talk to residents about safety. Since establishing relationships with individuals living there, he added that there has been progress in improving safety conditions and connecting people to services, and he hopes this decision will increase opportunities for people to find housing, while also limiting the impacts to those who have to move.
"My hope is it will go relatively smoothly, and we're giving ourselves enough time to work with individuals to get them resettled somewhere that doesn't negatively impact their daily life, to an extent that causes other trauma or other issues," said Stuart.
Many of the individuals living in Juniper Ridge work within the community, according to Stuart and Blaalak. Providing a safe place for them to rest and receive services could be the start to long-term success.
Given that this plan is "temporary," the City and County will likely meet again in the future to reevaluate the situation. They will look at progress, observations about the state of the area and where we are at as a community, Stuart said.
This also includes an effort from the City to continue adding more affordable housing in the area and increasing shelter options.
"We don't have a lot of shelter beds or places for people to go. Our utilization rates are really high," said Amy Fraley, senior manager of houselessness services with the City of Bend. "I think folks may be more willing to move to more permanent housing or move into different scenarios if those places exist. And so hopefully we'll be able to figure that out."
With an increase in outreach, and an opportunity for a more safe way of living, local officials hope to see fewer people needing Juniper Ridge.
"Our end goal is, we'd like to see the number of individuals out there reduce over time, but it's not going to happen overnight," said Stuart.
Last week, some Juniper Ridge residents were outside working on their shelters, adding fencing and continuing to build out their camp. Having lived there for years, it appeared as though they had no plans to move out any time soon. Across the way, another established camp sat abandoned. Belongings scattered and piled around, left behind after a woman transitioned out of homelessness. A success by city official standards but still a mess left behind to clean up.
For people inside, Juniper Ridge can be a temporary living area, while others find ways to make it home. At least for a little while.
—This story is powered by the Lay It Out Foundation, the nonprofit with a mission of promoting deep reporting and investigative journalism in Central Oregon. Learn more and be part of this important work by visiting layitoutfoundation.org.
