for sale. However, the community eventually failed when the first railroad route through the area was built on the opposite side of the river, through the neighboring town of Redmond. In 1904, gold was discovered on the Cline Buttes by Otto Retzlaff and C. P. Becker. The first gold ore was found in a ledge outcrop on the south flank of the mountain. More than 50 mining claims were quickly filed. However, when the ore was assayed it was found to be uneconomical to extract, so mining operations never got underway. In 1985, development of Eagle Crest Resort began along the Deschutes River, east of the Cline Buttes. The original development was on the east side of the Cline Falls Highway. In 1996, Eagle Crest began selling residential lots west of the Cline Falls Highway, between the highway and the eastern base of the Cline Buttes. This development was completed in 1993. Later, a third phase of Eagle Crest housing was developed along the northwestern base of the Cline Buttes. This area is separated from the Eagle Crest's second development by approximately one mile of Bureau of Land Management property. There is a paved easement road that connects the two areas, running along the northern base of the mountain. Today, the Bureau of Land Management administers the Cline Buttes and much of the land around the mountain. The bureau has established Cline Buttes Recreation Area, a area that is being developed for a wide range of recreational uses. A service road runs up the south side of the mountain and then along the upper west flank to the main summit. The road supports a Federal Aviation Administration facility located at the summit. The facility houses a radio beacon used for aircraft navigation. There is also a road running along the east flank of the mountain. It leads to a rock quarry located on the northeast side of the mountain. Recreation In the summer, recreation opportunities in the Cline Buttes area include hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, bird watching, and scenic viewing. There are separate mountain trails for hikers, mountain bikes, and horseback riding. During the winter, the area is usually available for some recreation activities since snow accumulation on and around the mountain is not excessive in most years. The Cline Buttes are particularly well known for their mountain bike trails. Several of the bike trails are narrow single-track paths