A tiny Oregon ghost town with a notorious past is reinventing itself by transforming old remnants into attractions for visitors.
Antelope, located in Central Oregon, has a long and unusual history. In the 1980s, the small town unexpectedly gained national attention when a cult took control of the community and carried out poisonings that sickened residents in nearby towns.
Today, it’s gaining attention for something much simpler: its night sky.
The small town became an International Dark Sky Community in 2024 and is now home to Oregon’s first certified Dark Sky lodging.
Here’s what to know about Antelope and how to stay.
What happened in Antelope?
Antelope’s origins come with a bit of mystery. No one is entirely sure how it got its name, though it’s believed to have been settled in the early 1800s.
The town began to take shape in the 1870s, when it sat along the Dalles Military Road, a stagecoach route connecting The Dalles to gold mines in Canyon City.
By 1907, Antelope had grown into an official town, serving as a stop for freight and travelers heading toward Sherar’s Bridge over the Deschutes River.
As transportation routes changed, so did the town’s role.
The arrival of the Columbia Southern Railroad reduced the need for stagecoach travel, and Antelope settled into a quieter life as a small ranching community with a post office, schoolhouse, church, and general store.
Antelope and Rajneesh cult
Antelope’s most well-known period came decades later.
In 1981, thousands of followers of Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh arrived in the area, establishing the Rajneeshpuram commune at nearby Muddy Creek Ranch.
The town itself was briefly renamed Rajneesh as the group expanded into the region.
The movement drew national attention before unraveling in 1985 following criminal investigations.
Investigators discovered that cult members had been poisoning residents by secretly contaminating restaurant salad bars with salmonella. The goal was to make enough people sick that they would be unable to vote, giving the group’s leaders a better chance of making political gains in the upcoming elections.
Multiple people were arrested, and Rajneesh was deported. The town’s name was eventually restored to Antelope.
Today, that chapter continues to draw curiosity and is explored in the Netflix documentary Wild Wild Country.
A new chapter under dark skies
In recent years, Antelope has worked to welcome visitors interested in exploring the town’s history and experiencing its spectacular night sky.
The area’s wide-open landscape and minimal light pollution create ideal conditions for stargazing. Those efforts helped Antelope earn its Dark Sky Community designation, recognizing the town’s commitment to protecting natural darkness.
At the same time, a collection of A-frame cabins once used during the Rajneesh era has been repurposed into overnight lodging. Now part of Antelope Basecamp, the cabins provide a simple place to stay with a clear focus on stargazing.
Lighting is kept to a minimum, the surroundings remain quiet, and once the sun sets, the night sky becomes the main attraction.
Planning a visit
For travelers interested in dark skies or those curious about the town’s layered history, staying overnight offers the full experience.
The A-frame cabins provide a direct connection to both, blending a piece of the past with one of the clearest night skies in the state.
To reserve a cabin, visitors can go to online to antelopebasecamp.com or call 541-460-6858.
Written by Ginnie Sandoval. Sandoval is a news and travel writer for Pacific Northwest Crossing. She covers travel tips, news, destinations, places to eat, and hidden gems across the Pacific Northwest. She can be reached at pnwcrossing@ramsanmedia.com.