Seeing Alvord Desert from a plane
A dry lake bed in the shadow of Steens Mountain, which rises nearly a mile above it. Kitty O'Neil set a women's land speed record here in 1976. Look for a pale, flat playa below a steep escarpment.
2 of our routes pass it. Oregon · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
Portland to Phoenix: sit on the left, 38 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Portland to Phoenix | Left | 38 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Phoenix | Left | 48 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Alvord Desert from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (2 of 2). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Alvord Desert from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Black Rock Desert Crater Lake Mount Bachelor Three Sisters Portland (PDX) Phoenix (PHX) Seattle (SEA) All routes