Warner Valley

Warner Valley
Hart Mountain overlooking the Warner Wetlands
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Lake
Part of	Basin and Range Province
Borders on	Hart Mountain (east) Warner Mountains (west)

The Warner Valley is a valley in south-central Oregon in the United States. It is a remote valley at the northwestern corner of North America's Basin and Range Province. The valley is home to a chain of lakes and wetlands known as the Warner Lakes. Native Americans were present in the Warner Valley for thousands of years before European explorers arrived in the 19th century. It is the site of Fort Warner, built by the United States Army in 1867. The fort was used as a supply depot and administrative headquarters during a protracted Army campaign against Northern Paiute bands in eastern Oregon and northern California. Today, livestock ranching is the main commercial activity in the valley. The Warner Valley offers a number of recreational opportunities including hunting, fishing, bird watching, and wildlife viewing.

The Warner Valley is located in south-central Oregon. It is approximately 60 miles (97 km) long and 8 miles (13 km) wide. Most of the valley is in Lake County; however, the north end of the valley extends about 10 miles (16 km) into Harney County. The valley has two regions commonly referred to as the South Warner Valley and the North Warner Valley. The two areas transition between Crump Lake and Hart Lake at a point where the valley narrows to about 5 miles (8.0 km) in width.

Both sides of the South Warner Valley have steep cliffs rising from 1,000 to 2,000 feet (300 to 610 m) above the valley floor. The eastern cliffs run the entire length of the valley, while the western wall turns into rolling hills at the north end of the valley. The Coyote Hills are the western boundary through the middle of the North Warner Valley, with the Rabbit Hills bounding the northwest corner of the valley. From the hills, the ground slopes up to the crest of Abert Rim. The eastern boundary of the valley is Hart Mountain, a massive cliff face that rises 3,600 feet (1,100 m) above the valley floor. Warner Peak is the highest point on Hart Mountain. The summit is 8,065 feet (2,458 m) above sea level.