Welcome to Gateway Canyon Preserve
2024-2025 Booking
We are now accepting bookings for the 2024-2025 season. Please call Darrell (458)-256-0262 for availability! Dates are procured on a first come first serve basis. We look forward to hearing from you!
Exceptional Upland Bird Hunting... and now much more!
Gateway Canyon Preserve is sited on family-owned Vibbert Ranch in Central Oregon, 11 miles north of Madras, a little more than an hour outside Bend and only 127 miles from Portland. For decades an upland bird hunting paradise, our bird habitat is planted sorghum, natural grasses, weeds and cattails for pheasants, and sage flats and grass for chukars. Our terrain and personalized itineraries meet the needs and aims of all hunters, whether you prefer unguided hunting with your own dogs, or sign up for a guided package. But that’s just half the story!
A new generation of management, a new choice of experiences.
Guests will now have access to all that Rocker 3 Ranch has to offer, including deer and elk hunting, fishing on the ranch or on guided trips along the wild and scenic Deschtes River. Six-stand clay shooting and Rocker 3’s own upland game preserve add further opportunities for memorable outdoor adventure. Comfortable onsite lodging, meanwhile, is available for overnight stays or multi-day hunts. (And at day’s end, you can unwind in the colorful onsite “Bitterbrush Saloon.”)
The new face of Gateway Canyon Preserve
After operating the Preserve for more than 10 years, we’ve decided it’s time to hand over the reins to a new generation, represented by our longtime neighbor and veteran outdoorsman Darrell Ceciliani, who will oversee our newly combined and enlarged recreational offerings. A born and bred Central Oregonian, Darrell grew up working his family’s ranch and had a nine-year career in Major League Baseball before returning home to devote his life to the land he loves. We’re confident that no one could be better qualified to take on the management role while maintaining the friendly hospitality that’s an honored tradition here at Gateway Canyon.
Staying in touch
We wish to personally assure all our old friends and new guests that we’ll still be here to say hello and make you feel welcome, and we invite you to call us with any questions about our new operation or the change in ownership. We’re grateful to all our loyal customers we’ve gotten to know over the years, and we hope you’ll join us in welcoming Darrell and the Rocker 3 team to the next stage of our adventure.