For decades, residents of Simnasho had two options to reach the nearest town: find a ride, or walk. That changed on May 5.
Cascades East Transit officially launched Route 21 on that date, inaugurating bus service to the remote Warm Springs Reservation community of Simnasho for the first time in the area’s modern history. The route also connects passengers from Madras and Warm Springs directly to Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort — another first for transit riders on the reservation.
A Route Decades in the Making
The 15-month pilot program runs Tuesday through Friday, making a roughly 50-mile loop from Warm Springs to the resort, then to Simnasho, and back along U.S. Highway 26. It is entirely funded by a $200,000 state Innovative Mobility Grant.
For Delson Suppah Sr., an elder of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs who lives in Simnasho, the day the first bus arrived was deeply meaningful.
“It’s definitely an uplifting internal feeling for me to see this day come to pass and I’m thankful for it,” said Suppah Sr., who spoke at the 3 Warriors Market — one of the new stops 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.”
Jobs, Health Care, and Connection
Lonny Macy, a planner for and member of the Confederated Tribes, described the route as “significant and important” because Kah-Nee-Ta — which reopened in 2024 after years of closure — is now one of the largest employers on the reservation. During peak season the resort employs scores of tribal members who previously had no reliable way to get to work without a personal vehicle.
Andrea Wasilew, outreach and engagement administrator for Cascades East Transit, said the route also addresses access to health care, essential services, and recreation for a community that has long been underserved by public transportation.
The route comes after years of requests from tribal leadership and follows the high-profile reopening of Kah-Nee-Ta, which has become a regional tourism destination and economic anchor for the tribe.
What’s at Stake
The pilot program is funded through May 2027. Transit advocates and tribal officials hope ridership data gathered during the pilot period will support a case for making the route permanent. Residents interested in using the service can find schedules at the Cascades East Transit website or by calling their information line.