Delson Suppah Sr. watched elders in Simnasho walk miles to reach a doctor, a store, or a ride out of the remote Warm Springs community. For decades, that was simply life on the eastern side of the reservation. On May 5, that changed.

Route 21, a new bus route operated by Cascades East Transit, launched service connecting Madras, Warm Springs, Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort, and Simnasho — bringing public transportation to some of the most isolated corners of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ roughly 1,000-square-mile reservation for the first time.

“It’s definitely an uplifting internal feeling for me to see this day come to pass,” said Suppah Sr., an elder who lives in Simnasho. “A lot of our elders, when I was younger, I watched them walk. 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.”

A 50-Mile Loop, Tuesday Through Friday

The new route runs a roughly 50-mile loop from Warm Springs through the reservation to Kah-Nee-Ta, then to Simnasho, and back along U.S. Highway 26. Service runs Tuesday through Friday. A bus already connects Warm Springs and Madras; Route 21 extends service into terrain that had never been served by public transit.

The route is funded entirely by a $200,000 state Innovative Mobility Grant as a 15-month pilot program, according to Andrea Wasilew, outreach and engagement administrator for Cascades East Transit. If ridership demonstrates need, advocates hope the route could become permanent.

Jobs and Access

The route to Kah-Nee-Ta is particularly significant. The resort — which reopened in 2024 after years of closure — is now one of the largest employers on the Warm Springs Reservation, employing over a hundred people during peak season. Without transit, many workers had no reliable way to reach the property from within the reservation.

“The route is significant and important because Kah-Nee-Ta provides jobs,” said Lonny Macy, a planner for and member of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.

Bus driver Chris Ulibarri, who ran the second route on launch day, described the scenery as “one of the most beautiful routes I’ve got,” winding through wide grassy flats, rocky canyon roads, and stands of pine trees with glimpses of the snow-covered Cascades along the way.

A Reservation With High Unmet Needs

The new transit service comes as the Warm Springs area continues to face significant infrastructure gaps. The Oregon Office of Rural Health has ranked Warm Springs as having the second-worst score for unmet healthcare needs in the state, highlighting how critical improved access to transportation, employment, and services is for reservation residents.

For route and schedule information, contact Cascades East Transit at cascadeseasttransit.com or call 541-385-8680.