The Oregon Wallowas Part II – Getting High & Wild
I never pass up an opportunity to get high and wild, and here in the Oregon Wallowas there’s no end of that kind of stuff going on. It’s the kind of place where both of these are right around the corner, in your backyard, practically everywhere you look. Step out of your RV and you’re immersed in it, walk a few miles and you’ll be right in the midst of it. I’m talking about mountains & wilderness of course (what else?) and a big reason for their nearness is that NE Oregon is REMOTE and CRAZY WILD with much of it protected and no way to get into it other than by foot. If there ever was a place that spoke to the very essence of me, this is it.
To appreciate exactly what I’m talking about here it’s best to set to scene.
The NE corner of Oregon rises from a high desert valley to a stunning 60-mile mountain range known as the Wallowas. This is the largest subalpine/alpine range in Oregon and it encompasses no less than 31 peaks higher than 9,000 feet. At the very core of this mountain wonderland lies the 361,446 acre Eagle Cap Wilderness wherein hide the very highest of granite peaks and the very densest concentration of pristine alpine lakes. To the north the mountains give way to grassy prairies which are chock-full of wildflowers in early Summer. To the east they plunge into an impassable and impossibly deep canyon. There are only the vaguest sprinklings of roads out here and none at all that enter the Eagle Cap area, so if you want to explore you’ve either got to drive rough passages or get out the hiking poles and go by foot.
It’s been called America’s Little Switzerland, Oregon’s Alps, the Yosemite of the North and many other fetching names, but the only way to really experience it is to see it for yourself. This is an undiscovered beauty, wild and free.
I knew only little about this area before we came, but when I first saw those snow-capped peaks I knew two things right away. I wanted to get up into those mountains and I wanted to frame them with wildflowers. The problem we faced was that many of the hikes here are MAJOR ones. This trails into the Eagle Cap Wilderness are notoriously long and all the lakes are 6-12 miles one-way with elevation gains of 1500-2500 feet or more. If we didn’t have the cats we’d ditch the RV & go backpacking which is really the way to see things here (there are just tons of spectacular 20-60-mile backpack trips that take you deep into the wilderness), but alas the kitties keep us home. We’re not “hard-core” day-hikers anymore either and prefer 5-8 mile hikes where we can take our time, wandering along, smelling the flowers & photographing. Not many of those around here. Thankfully there are a few “easy ass” options for folks just like us…..
Wallowa Lake Tramway
No doubt the easiest way to get high around here is the Wallowa Lake Tramway. This swiss-made Gondola runs from just east of Wallowa Lake State Park campground to the top of Mt.Howard at ~8,150 feet. It takes less than 15 mins to get to the top, costs $28/person and voilà….just like that you’re in the mountains. It’s all rather civilized too. At the summit they have a Grill where you can eat/drink and even surf the free WiFi. More interesting for folks like us is that they also have several miles of hiking trails (from 1-5 miles, with ability to connect/expand to just about any length you wish) that meander around the mountain offering spectacular view after spectacular view in every direction. It’s hands down one of the best 360-panoramas in the area.
It’s a pricey trip, but it’s worth doing once especially if you’re not able to hike into the wilderness itself. I also recommend getting the first tram of the morning (10AM in early season, 9AM in main season), since in the AM the sun is behind you as you face the mountains giving the best photography light of the peaks (plus you’ll have less people in the way). Good way to get high!
Bring Doggie? NO. No dogs allowed on the tramway, sadly.
Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Site
Located on the north side of Wallowa Lake, this hidden little gem of a park is part of the ancestral homeland of the Nez Perce Tribe, who have deep roots in this area and whose most famous chieftain (Chief Joseph) is the namesake for the local town. Short 1-5 mile trails from the parking lot take you through rolling grasslands chock-filled with wildflowers and backed by sweeping views of the Wallowa mountains. Plus you can take a short side-trip from here to see the Old Chief Joseph Gravesite and Cemetery. It’s by far the easiest, most scenic place to get your Spring/Summer wildflower fix and, at least from our experience, it seems practically nobody comes here(?)
Bring Doggie? YES! Dogs are welcome on all the trails around the Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Area
Wallowa Lake Trails
There are several trailheads near the state park campground at the south end of Lake Wallowa which will take you up and into the mountains. The Little Alps Day Use Area, located just ~1 mile from the state park is one of main entrances into the Eagle Cap Wilderness, and there are two main forks that take you deep into the mountains. From here you can hike as few or as many miles as you wish, all uphill of course.
We did the short 3-mile roundtrip hike to Upper BC Falls and also took a longer trail up part of Chief Joseph mountain. We *may* still do one of the longer hikes before we leave (if we can squeeze it in), but for now the shorter out/backs are good enough for us. You can get as high and far as your little legs will take you here 🙂
Bring Doggie? YES! Dogs are welcome on all the trails within the State Park and the Eagle Cap Wilderness.
Zumwalt Prairie
It may be just a whole bunch of grass, but it’s one of the very few left of it’s kind. Zumwalt Prairie Preserve is a 33,000 acre wilderness containing the largest remaining intact Pacific Northwest bunchgrass prairie in North America. At one point pretty much everything around here looked like this, but agriculture and development stripped the land of its natural grasses. So, if you want to see the past in it’s wildest form this is where you come.
It takes about 40 mins of twisting, dusty road to get out here, but if you make the effort you’ll be rewarded with rolling green hills, white-tipped mountains and endless wildflowers (in the right season). Plus the preserve has several easy 1-4 mile hikes amongst the grasses.
We went early morning to catch the light and found our grassy nirvana on Horned Lark Trail. Paul likened the area to entering the Kingdom of Gondor, possibly inspired by the Lord Of The Rings marathon we’d watched the day before (yes, we’re those kind of people), and I have to admit he wasn’t far off. From our grassy perch we enjoyed a completely solo view of the rolling hills and the white mountains beyond, and spent an easy hour in the flowers contemplating all that was and all that is to be (or maybe we just played around, but the former sounds more poetic, no?). The only bummer? No doggies allowed on the trail. A deep thanks to all FOUR (!!) blog readers who suggested we come out here in the comments of my last post.
Bring Doggie? NO. Dogs are allowed on the main road, but no doggies allowed on the trails and if you want to get in amongst the grasses & wildflowers you’ll want to get on the trails.
That’s the sum total of the wild and high stuff we’ve managed so far in our first week here. But fear not, more is coming as we chase down brews and barns and (maybe) even go to Hell and back. Stay tuned for the next episode…
Useful Links:
- Wallowa Mountain Hiking -> Info HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE
- Eagle Cap Wilderness -> Click HERE for info
- Wallowa Lake State Park -> Click HERE for info & HERE for my review
- Wallowa Lake Tramway -> Click HERE for info
- Iwetemlaykin State Heritage Area -> Click HERE for map (PDF)
- Zumwalt Prairie -> Click HERE for map (PDF)
- 100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon
Our favorite part of Oregon. I love the Wallowas more than the coast, but I can’t speak for Mo. HA! If you go to my blog, I wrote about the very best doggie daycare place we have ever found when traveling. We needed to leave Abby to do our trip down Hells Canyon. The link to the kennel is near the end of this post. Just in case you decide to do something for longer than you are comfortable leaving Polly.
http://mohotravels.blogspot.com/2013/09/september-13-hells-canyon.html
Excellent write up Sue. We can’t bring ourselves to leave Polly anywhere, but that kennel sure looks like they offer a nice service. I think our trip to the canyon will be fairly short (or as short as possible given the distances involved).
Nina
That’s a WONDERFUL post Nina!! Thank you so much!! You and Paul are such a GREAT team!! Lucky both of you!
Happy Trails! Larry M
Thank you for the lovely compliment.
Nina
Just added to our list for next spring when we get our show in the road. Looks absolutely beautiful.
Excellent. Spring should be a nice time to come here, although you might still get some cold days (elevation is around 4,400 feet at the base on the mountains). The State Park is a nice place to stay and should be quiet around that time too.
Nina
I do believe this area is calling our name!! Snow capped mountains, wildflowers, and long hikes!! Thanks for sharing:)
The hikes here would be RIGHT up your alley. Lots of high mountains, views, steep trails. And I know you guys like to do the longer ones.
Nina
Your photo/camera skills just keep getting better and better!
mark
Why thank you {{blush}}
Nina
Beautiful! Calls out to my inner ‘little Karen on the prairie’, with those lovely grasses. ;). After reading these last two blog entries, I’d swear you and Paul have found your eventual(?) quasi-permanent resting point. Then again, I’ve thought that with numerous other posts of yours, though not quite as strongly as this time around. ;). Keep enjoying and sharing. 🙂
Tee hee….you never know. There’s no doubt Oregon ranks top of our list of States to settle down in. This area may be a tad too remote for us, but it sure has all the qualities we’re looking for for.
Nina
Glad you got to see this area! Next year, you might want to check out southeastern Oregon, and see the Owyhee Canyonlands and Leslie Gulch. https://www.google.com/search?q=owyhee+oregon&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CC4QsARqFQoTCNOaq4LKkMYCFUqiiAod2yEANw&biw=1765&bih=1275
Interestingly enough I’ve been looking at the Owyhee Canyonlands recently, but it seems incredibly rough to get in there? Any tips on where I should look (in that area) for something “beast-friendly” (boondocking?) and driveable in a non 4WD toad? So far, my little bit of research hasn’t turned up much.
Nina
We tent camped in Leslie Gulch before we got our trailer, but there were folks with fifth wheels there. Bit of a rough road, you could probably stay near Jordan Valley and drive in. Our neighbors have a class A and I think they drove it in there , but seems a bit questionable to me.
Mark
Thanks. That gives me a starting point to look at. It won’t happen this year, but that area intrigues me.
Nina
Great post. We need to make the drive out there from Bend. Such beautiful photos!
It’s a bit of a drive to get out here, but well worth it IMHO. I can’t believe we’ve never been here ourselves before either.
Nina
What spectacular photos of the area. You’ve given me a couple more places to add to my Oregon Wanderlist. Thanks for sharing it.
Is it just me, or have you found a new favorite place in Oregon? Hmmm, seems I recall a post earlier this year about a possible future semi-permanent homestead? 🙂
I’m looking forward to your future posts of the area, as well as the great pics.
Maybe we won’t head east next spring….hmmmmm
I think that’s wise 🙂
Nina
OH yes, we now have a destination next year, the Wallowas! What a beautiful place, your photos and description are very compelling.
This fall we are westbound and will be out west all of next year so Im sure our paths will cross again.
Absolutely beautiful. Gorgeous photos. My husband and I will also be adding the Wallowas to our list when we start full timing RV soon. Thanks for sharing your travels, Nina and Paul. Truly inspiring.
Great photos. We liked the Zumwalt prairie too, so interesting and wild. ((SIGH)) I want to go back.
It’s definitely wild country out here. So lovely to see.
Nina
I’m so looking forward to seeing prairie lands. Weird, but I find them so beautiful! Just one more reason to make sure we get to this area. Looks like the perfect place to get high for sure!! Nice that there a few places we can take doggie as well.
I must say the Prairies were prettier then I imagined. I think my photos would have been even better if we’d gone right after sunrise or right before sunset. I can just imagine those hills in that light.
Nina
Wow, you do see and do more in a week, than many people see and do in a year! There is so much in this one blog post. You make a great case to come visit Oregon! I had some friends who lived in Eugene for a number of years, and they loved living there. Thank you for sharing your photos and experiences with us yet again!
Eugene is a lovely town, one of the very first we visited in OR in fact (lots of good RV repair guys there). We’ve definitely packed our time in here. Still got a few more days and a few more outings. Hope we manage to fit it all in!
Nina
What a wonderful write up of the beautiful (and accessible) places to get out into the wilderness of the Wallowas! Gorgeous photos, too. So glad you made it out to the Zumwalt Prairie — sorry I forgot to warn you about the rough and winding road. I’m sure you’ve made it to Arrowhead Chocolate shop in Joseph — best Mexican hot chocolate ever. 🙂
Yup we’ve already indulged at Arrowhead (oh my). I’ll be mentioning them in an upcoming post. Thanks for recommending the Zumwalt Prairie. I’m very happy we made it out there to see it.
Nina
beautiful pics Nina … and a great writeup on an area we’ve never been. we’ll need to fix that …
xo
Hec
I have been curious about what you do with your pets whenever a place does not allow them? Do you find a kennel in town?
We don’t kennel. We keep our trips without doggie to 4 hours or less (never more than 5) and just leave her and the cats at home in the RV with the air programmed to come on (and backed up by Auto-Generator Start in case power fails) at a pre-determined temp. The pets are more comfortable at home than in a kennel, and as long as we keep our outings short, they’re fine where they are.
Nina
What is there not to love about Oregon? We will definitely be seeing this part of Oregon in future travels. Great writeup Nina and those photos…stunning!
great post…glad you are loving that area…
Breathtaking!
Wowsers! You are making me sooo very excited to hit Oregon this fall and check out a new area!!! Oregon is one of my top 5 fave states and it seems like its been forever since we’ve been there.
Hope you get to hit this area. I’m sure it’s spectacular in fall.
Nina
been to and love all those spots. large herds of elk in the zumwalt prairie. sept. the kokanee ( bright red ) are moving from the lake up the wallowa river to spawn. across from the tram is “park at the river”. they have a few overflow dry camping spots down on the river, very close to the water. spring run off and lots of white noise from the river. as we each have a kayak now, i would love to go back and do some paddling in the lake. i was surprised to see warning signs on the trails about wolf encounters ( not bear or cougar )
Didn’t know about those overflow spots at Wallowa. Good tip!
Nina