As a born Idahoan I am ashamed to say I had never been here, mostly because as a kid we just went…read moreto the winter carnival every year. That being said better late than never! This park has a FANTASTIC visitor center! I mean it's not packed with tons of info but it's got a solid little bit, nice folks, a good little gift shop, clean bathrooms, what more could you want? There are so many trails with an abundance of options for difficulty, or even just driving through was tranquil. We saw a huge variety of birds, wildlife, flowers, and just incredible views. It's worth a visit, take a day and explore, we went in late June and saw many adorable fawns and deer!

July Spot 6 has intense afternoon sun despite what that YouTube guy said. Anyway it's great if…read moreyou have a bike and inflatables for the lake. Mosquitos out so prepare for that. Beautiful area

Looooooong overdue review! I've been out with Tributary multiple times. Easy half day, more…read moretechnical full day and most recently a four day trip through Hells Canyon on the Snake River. I think it's safe for me to say that Tributary Whitewater is the bees knees! Starting with Jessica in reservations, to Jeremiah the owner who I've had the pleasure of chatting with a few times, right down to the amazing guides Chris, Megan, Joe, Matt, Noah, Nate, & Gregor just to name a few, these guys are truly top notch. The day trips are fun and exciting and I've always felt safe and supported but this multi day trip was next level luxury. Relaxing and fun days on the water, fresh lunch prepped riverside each day, guided hikes to ancient petroglyphs and old homesteads, showing up to camp already set up, tents pitched, and a gourmet meal being put together by chef Megan. What more could you ask for? Lemme tell you. When we had a sudden shift in temperature, guide and boss man Chris pulled out quite literally every piece of clothing he had with him to keep us warm. Sweet Joesph ushered us up some slippery volcanic rock for some fun rock jumping and when I was too much of a weenie to jump alone he held my hand and jumped with me. Matt spent an entire night going over pointers for all the things I still want to learn and different online resources he used when he was in training and even a volunteer program he knew of where I could get some more river hours in. And when I got some gnar blisties, Chef Megan didn't just grab the regular first aid kit, she went and grabbed a special honey salve that her brother gave her from her own personal gear. Special little touches that show that they didn't just care about getting us from Point A to Point B in one piece, but making sure we enjoyed the ride along the way. These guys are also great land stewards and all major LNT principals were followed perfectly, which is not as common as you'd think in river guiding. In chatting with Chris about training guidelines, it's clear they cultivate a company culture of not just enjoying the land and rivers they work on, but respecting and caring for them, too, which is super cool. 10/10 have and would recommend to a friend and if Tributary is on a river that I want to run there is no reason I would go with anyone else.

Best Outfitters- Safe, Knowledgeable, fun, great food, great…read moregear... George knows the river !!! You will not find a better outfitter http://www.canyonoutfitters.com info@canyonoutfitters.com

This review is for one of the Big Sheep Creek trails accessed by the NF-100 road off Wallowa…read moreMountain Road (Loop). First off, Eagle Cap is a fabulous wilderness area. I love it and after this first time experience, we'll be back. That said, our hiking adventure was shorter than we'd planned because the creeks were still too high to allow all the several crossings necessary to do the several miles in that we wanted. We were too early in the season (late May). But we did get 2.6 miles of hiking in and enjoyed every bit of it. Fantastic scenery. The access road wasn't too bad even in a Toyota Corolla, although we were stopped by snow a few hundred yards short of the trailhead, Not that many critters, though. Highly recommended.

Nestled in the far northeast corner of Oregon lies a magical land of awe-inspiring mountain peaks,…read morealpine lakes filled with jumping trout, beautifully vibrant meadows, and miles upon miles of trails. This place doesn't get the love & press of it's northern neighbor, The Enchantments (Washington's Cascadian alpine wonderland), but I would argue this outdoor area is just as good....or dare I say: better? [[[[bracing myself for tomatoes and trash to be thrown at me]]]] OK, I'm only saying it's "better" because it's in more of a remote area (so less traffic), and you don't need to worry about measuring your luck with a permit lottery (it's probably not needed due to less traffic). So this place is definitely more approachable. The Eagle Cap Wilderness is a huge area (almost 600 square miles). It's still new to me, but in 2015, I had the pleasure of spending two trips up here, one in July & the other in Sept. It is an expansive area, but I would say, obviously enough, that Eagle Cap peak is the hub of the area. From Eagle Cap, you have spokes of mountain ranges and river valleys. There are several approaches to get you from lower elevations to the alpine region around Eagle Cap. For my first experience, we went for a less-traveled approach from the south: Eagle Creek Valley. The solitude here is surely something I daydream about, but I would have to say the 4th of July weekend has some brutally hot weather--especially when hiking uphill. We camped one night in this valley and made it over Horton Pass to a camp up in the alpine area for a couple of nights. While at Horton Pass, I took a side trip up to summit Eagle Cap. The views here were life-changing. MOSQUITO HEAVEN: July in Eagle Cap Wilderness was hot and there were mosquitoes up the ying yang! It as pretty unbearable. I slept in a bivy sack, and I cooked in it as the mosquitoes tried stealing my blood as they peered in at me through the face screen. Sleep was tough. But during the day, it was great to have day hikes around the area, jump in clear & cold lakes and to also wet a fly while pursuing trout. Fall is my preference though. In September we did an approach from the north and hiked up the East Lostine River Valley. Once you get above 5000, there is a long glacial valley which is just about the most beautiful place I've ever seen. Hiking this valley was surreal. The peaceful stream, the beautiful color of the vegetation, and Eagle Cap looking over us the whole time: perfect hiking! There's no mosquitoes at all, but the days are short. The weather is a little chilly, so no chance of taking a dip in the Lostine River. But it was pretty nice. The Lostine River approach is also an easier hike, too. You don't have to hike over a mountain pass. And you can pretty much get up to the alpine area after a few hours of hiking.

I love this park and have been coming here since I was a kid- as of late the park is in desperate…read moreneed of some landscape work and needs to be green again as it was all the years I have enjoyed it - it has been the place of some of my greatest joys with my kiddos- I would like to continue to share that and hope other families can return to enjoy the park---I genuinely hope the park can come back into it's beauty.....

This park is located halfway between Ontario and Baker City. Farewell Bend is where the Pioneers…read moreleft the snake river to travel the final leg overland to the Columbia River Gorge near Biggs, Oregon. Lake water level can be virtually non-existent or full depending on the Army Corps of Engineers and water runoff. If you're going for the boating or water recreation you should call ahead. Campground can be packed or empty and quiet depending on water level and time of year. If you're really lucky you will see one of the many owls who call the area home.

Took the beautiful drive up to the dam from Baker City...about 85 miles each way via State Route…read more86. The road gets pretty windy once you hit Copperfield, but the views of Hells Canyon and Snake River are worth it! There are quite a few pull-outs to stop and take pics. We also passed numerous campground and picnic options. We enjoyed driving over the dam and taking pictures from both sides. Such beautiful views! If you follow the road to the end, passed the dam about 0.5 mile, you come across the visitors center. It was closed when we arrived, but we did enjoy watching the rafters and kayakers from the back deck. Would highly recommend a visit!

Hells Canyon Dam sits at the end of the road. Literally. It's the last of a series of dams that pen…read moreup the Snake River as it rolls along a steep, deep crevasse that separates Oregon and Idaho. To access the dam, you pick up Hells Canyon Road at Copperfield (if coming from the Oregon side) and snake your way up along the Hells Canyon Reservoir for about half an hour. It's a scenic drive that offers plenty of places to pull off and swim, and quite a few trailheads for hikes up into the Idaho side of the canyon. The route takes you along the base of some very steep cliffs and overhangs, and you can tell by the dents in the blacktop that there are often rockfalls along here. My wife was white-knuckling it during most of the ride out. The dam itself is nothing too spectacular, but it does sit in a very scenic spot on the river. Once you cross the dam, the road ends in a boat launch, and this is where the adventure begins. Here you can put in for kayaking, rafting and drift-boat floats down the canyon. Fishing abounds. The dam itself has a little visitor's center with historical photographs and a couple of Idaho Power employees who can answer questions. We were able to get some good info on road quality for our forthcoming drive up the forest service roads into the Wallowas. Super helpful! If you're not floating or fishing or otherwise using the recreation side of the river, there's not a whole lot to do here other than learn about the dam and take in some pretty scenic views from the canyon floor. It's almost more about the views on the drive in. And you'll be seeing them again on the drive out, as there's nowhere to go from here but back the way you came.

It was so beautiful! Very premium, dogs are allowed. There was deer everywhere, so many things to…read moredo here! I Highly recommend

This park is small with short trails leading to the lake. Good spot for a picnic. There are tables…read morenear the water but there isn't a ton of room near the shore line. Dogs are allowed. There are pretty views around the lake but the park isn't awesome overall.

This hike happened by happenstance…read more A friend and I were supposed to go up to Horseshoe Prairie (http://www.yelp.com/biz/horseshoe-prairie-nordic-ski-area-pendleton) for snowshoeing, but unfortunately, I let my friend drive and he was a little too confident about his car's snowy-road-handling ability. After spinning tires a time or two, we canned our fun-in-the-snow plans, turned around, and slid down the hill to civilization. While picking up chocolates at Petite Noirs (http://www.yelp.com/biz/petits-noirs-milton-freewater), the owner mentioned a nearby hike. To not make the day a total loss, we were all ears, and went for it. Just off of main street in Milton Freewater, you take the turn off for Harris Park (as you're driving south out of town, it'll be the left BEFORE you take the hill up and out of town). You then drive about 10 miles up a canyon carved by the South Fork of the Walla Walla River. This canyon is part of the Blue Mountains, and it's amazing to see how quickly the landscape changes from the drabby flatness of Milton-Freewater to the alpine-y beauty of the Blues & Walla Walla river. Once you're in the area of the park, keep going until you approach the trailhead for the South Fork Walla Walla River trail. Here there are quite a few parking spots, a couple of restrooms and river bubbles within earshot. You are clearly outside of civilization and within an honest to goodness country landscape. The deep valley is beautiful and the trail looks inviting. For the most part the trail parallels the river. Sometimes it sidetracks and goes up the side of the valley wall, but the river is always within view. The trail is well-kept and nice (other than a few boggy/muddy spots). We went for about 2.5 miles on the trail before calling it a day. We enjoyed sightings of elk at one spot (we later saw herds of deer, turkey, and even a scooting coyote during our dusk drive out). I'm so glad I made it here. I can definitely see myself coming back to dip myself within the magic waters (à la Field of Dreams) and fly fishing the stream (à la A River Runs Through It). I've also heard that you can ride your mountain bike here too---I'd also be down for that! South Fork of the Walla Walla Trail. I will see you again---very, very soon.

This was a great hike with my dog. Very turn their was a beautiful view of the Walla walla River…read more Trail was in decent condition. Plenty of parking at the trailhead.

Stopped here to stretch our legs after a drive from La Grande…read more Absolutely beautiful lake! Great place for recreation. Nice long dock for boating. There are long concrete steps down to the rocky shore. Bathroom facilities and garbages available as well. Would highly recommend for the views alone!

Beautiful lake anytime of the year!!! Great fishing and boating. Family fun! Or solo adventures!!read more

Trip was amazing! Guides were knowledgeable and helpful and fun! The food was great and it was so…read morerelaxing as the guides did all the camp set up, cooking and camp break down. Definitely would recommend Hells Canyon Rafting!

This was the trip of a lifetime. Totally unplugged, world class rapids, excellent fishing, and…read moreamazing food. I'll be coming back for sure.

Oh man, oh man, oh man--all of the heart eyes! (Not the easiest thing in the world to get to, but…read morelike a hidden treasure, once you find it, the hunt is so worth it!) How to get there(ish): 1. Head up ID 55 like you're going towards McCall 2. Hang a right on Banks Lowman Highway 3. Drive for 28 miles and then you'll see Pine Flats Campground on the right 4. (Now getting to the hot springs is a bit tricky. Side note: I definitely would NOT recommend attempting this in snowy weather, that just would not be smart or safe.) Anyways, you're going to take a trail that runs sort of by the river and is towards the rightmost part of the campground. You'll walk for what I assume to be a quarter mile, and then voila! You'll arrive at a beach along the river with massive boulders and pools stacked against the hillside (this is all natural by the way)! The Campground: Parking is $5/day, and I am not sure about the cost of overnight camping as we only made a day trip here. They have one bathroom here, and, well, it's totally a public park bathroom. The Views: We went on an October weekend, so we had a view that combined all things beautiful that Idaho has to offer in one--snow on mountains in the distance, lush green hills, stunning fall foliage, a rushing river running along the hot springs, and clean mountain air. The Hot Springs: A good amount of the pools of water were warm and I would only recommend sitting in them if the weather is above 80 degrees, or else you'll get chilly real quick. But for the most part, they were toasty, especially if you sat underneath the ones with waterfalls--those will heat you right up! Pro Tip(s): 1. Make sure you have more than enough gas in your car--you're out of service up here and out of luck if you run out of gas. 2. Bring a big water bottle! Sitting in hot water will dehydrate ya real quick.

For anyone feeling super adventurous and spontaneous. Maybe even wanting to just get out and…read moreexperience something new this beginning of spring Pine Flats is definitely the perfect spot. When you arrive it can be a little confusing but don't be overwhelmed with the long walking trail! Overall our experience for first timers was great. We did have to walk a little and if your a first timer also like us you may want to be ready with some hiking shoes, warm clothes/swimming clothes if your using the hot springs and a happy motivation(: The hot springs pool overall is pretty smaller then expected but good maybe for couples if you need a nice date idea. The temperature is perfect if you land in the right spot. (Lower ones are better) would we do this again ? 10/10 yes.