Barnes Grade Recreation Area

In September 2025, the Applegate Field Office issued a decision authorizing the Barnes Grade Recreation Area in southern Oregon, including three parking areas, one day-use area, a nine-hole disc golf course, and related infrastructure.

Why this is significant

Barnes Grade is the first BLM disc golf development decision made after the EXPLORE Act became law. It is hard evidence that a BLM field office approved disc golf infrastructure during the EXPLORE Act implementation period.

Important caveat

No public BLM document explicitly says Barnes Grade was approved because of the EXPLORE Act. The fair statement: it is evidence that disc golf is very much within the kind of recreation development BLM is advancing in the EXPLORE era — not proof that a specific EXPLORE section directly triggered the course.

What was approved

The Barnes Grade Recreation Area decision includes:

• Nine-hole disc golf course
• Three parking areas
• One day-use area
• Related recreation infrastructure

This bundled approach — disc golf as one element of a broader recreation area development — is exactly the framing EXPLORE Disc Golf recommends. Disc golf wasn’t proposed in isolation; it was part of a package that advances BLM’s recreation mission.

The Applegate Field Office

The Applegate Field Office, located along the Oregon-California border, has been increasing its work developing recreation trails and facilities. The Barnes Grade decision fits within a broader pattern of recreation investment at this office.

Lessons for advocates

1. Bundle disc golf with other improvements. Barnes Grade included parking, day-use, and disc golf together.
2. 9 holes is a viable starting point. Not every proposal needs to be 18 holes. A well-designed 9-hole course is an achievable first step.
3. The EXPLORE era is real. BLM is actively approving recreation development. Disc golf proposals submitted now arrive during a period of active recreation expansion.
4. Document everything. As more decisions like Barnes Grade accumulate, they create precedent that makes the next proposal easier.