The Eastern Cascades Foothills Ecoregion designated by the US EPA in the states of Washington, Oregon and California. This ecoregion is on the eastern (rain shadow) side of the Cascade mountains and experience greater temperature extremes and receive less rain than the west side of the Cascade mountains.

Open forests of ponderosa pine and some lodgepole pine distinguish this region from the Cascades ecoregion, where hemlock and fir forests are more common, and from the lower, drier ecoregion to the east, where shrubs and grasslands are predominant. The vegetation is adapted to the prevailing dry, continental climate and frequent wildfire. Volcanic cones and buttes are common in much of the region.

This ecoregion in Oregon continues southward from Washington, is much narrower throughout the northern half of the state and once pass south of Bend, Oregon becomes increasingly wider. This area consists of foothills, low mountains, plateaus and valleys with elevations from about 500 to 3500 feet. The dry climate is moderated in the north by the marine weather which enters through the Columbia River Gorge ecoregion.

The flora consists of Oregon white oak, ponderosa pin on the east side and on the west side, there are Douglas fir and western hemlock. The understory species include Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, antelope bitterbrush, Oregon grape, hazel, and snowberry. Too, there are some grassland areas. The land in the Oregon area of this ecoregion is mostly privately owned.

Further southward, the terrain is dominated by high undulating volcanic plateaus and canyons with permanent streams of medium inclination. The elevation here rise to begin at 2400 to below 5300 feet. Much of the soil is derived from ash procuded from volcanic erupions and support large stands of ponderosa pin. Understory species vary with elevation include: antelope bitterbrush at lower locations and greenleaf manzanita and snowberry at higher locations. A few well watered areas include mountain alder, dogwood, willows and sedges.

To the east, this area rises up onto the slopes of Mount Jefferson, Three Fingered Jack, the Three Sisters thought the Deschutes National Forest as well as the land of the Warm Springs Reservation include other: Sahaptin tribes, incuding the Dock-spus, Tygh, Wasco and Wyam bands. Also, Several Paiute bands from southeastern Oregon were removed to the Warm Springs Reservation in 1869.

Then, south of Bend, Oregon, this ecoregion widens increasingly towards California and consists of high volcanic plateau covered with thick deposits of ash and pumice with elevations rising from about 4200 feet to under 8400 feet. Also, there are pumice basins somewhat lower in elevation. Much of the same flora exists as is in area to the north but here, are found lodgepole pine, willow, and aspen.

Finally, the pumice Plateau area drop in elevation to lower basins mostly below 5000 feet where marshes, lakes, reservoirs, wetland forests as well as medium flow rivers provide habitat for a large variety of migratory waterfowl.

La Pine State Park

The Cove Palisades State Park

Tumalo State Park

Crooked River Gorge

Newberry Volcano

Pilot Butte Cinder Cone