For the first time in the memory of many Warm Springs Reservation residents, a public bus now reaches the remote community of Simnasho — a milestone that tribal elders say has been decades in the making.

Cascades East Transit's new Route 21 launched on May 5, making a 50-mile loop from Madras through Warm Springs to Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort and then to Simnasho before turning back. The service runs Tuesday through Friday, three times daily, and is entirely free to riders throughout May. After May, tickets cost $2 per ride.

A Community Long Without Options

Simnasho sits about 25 miles from the nearest town, at the intersection of two remote highways on tribal land. For generations, residents without vehicles had no reliable way to reach medical care, work, or basic services.

Delson Suppah Sr., an elder and Simnasho resident, was at the 3 Warriors Market — one of the new bus stops — when the route launched. He said watching elders walk miles to reach town was a formative part of his childhood.

"A lot of our elders, when I was younger, I watched them walk. I mean, if they had to get to some place, whether it was The Dalles or Madras or Warm Springs from here in Simnasho, they would just start walking," Suppah Sr. said. "It's definitely an uplifting internal feeling for me to see this day come to pass."

Census data underscores the need: Warm Springs residents are four times more likely than Madras residents to have no access to a vehicle at all, and the estimated median household income on the reservation is under $36,000. Rising gas prices have added further strain on families who do own vehicles.

Connecting Workers to Jobs at Kah-Nee-Ta

The route also provides the first public transit connection to the Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort, which reopened in 2024 after years of closure and is now one of the largest employers on the reservation. During peak season, the resort employs more than 100 people.

Lonny Macy, a planner for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, said the connection is crucial: the route is "significant and important because Kah-Nee-Ta provides jobs." Danica Williams, a guest services manager at the resort, hopes employees will use the bus to get to work — and that families across the reservation will use it to enjoy the resort.

A Flex Route — Wave It Down

Route 21 operates as a flex route, meaning riders can call Cascades East Transit the day before to schedule a pickup anywhere along the route. Bus driver Chris Ulibarri told riders on the first day of service that if anyone waves down the bus along the road, drivers will stop.

The 15-month pilot program is funded by a $200,000 state Innovative Mobility Grant. If the route proves successful, Cascades East Transit says it will seek additional funding through other grants or potential tribal contributions to make it permanent.

"Connecting residents to medical needs from Simnasho to The Dalles or Simnasho to Central Oregon has been a top priority for the tribe," said Bob Townsend, Cascades East Transit director.

Ride Information

  • Route: Madras → Warm Springs → Kah-Nee-Ta → Simnasho → return
  • Days: Tuesday through Friday
  • Cost: Free through May; $2 per ride after that
  • Flex pickup: Call Cascades East Transit the day before to schedule
  • Last stop: Jefferson County-St. Charles Madras hospital

The route is already a "most beautiful route" according to Ulibarri, who drives through canyon roads, grassland flats, and pine stands with views of the snow-capped Cascades along the way.