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.

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.

These trails aren't just for winter sports. I've made it here during the summer to take my…read moremountain bike for a ride. I parked at the Sno-Park Parking lot where one would go during the winter months. Here you have a couple of dirt roads to choose from for off-road options. I decided to do some climbing and went for NFD Rd 64--to get to this road from the parking lot, ride your bike further up the valley a few hundred yards (their's a trail), and then take right. This road is fairly nice. There are lots of rock on it, but no potholes. It is a fairly uphill jaunt from the get-go. As I was approaching the top of the valley, I eyed a side road. The sign on it said (6400 500), so I don't know which is the name of the road, but I decided to take it, because it looked tiny and way less traveled (in fact it was closed to motorized vehicles). Nice. Yeah, this trail ended up being the high-point of the day. It wasn't single track, but it was close. I must admit I had the willies when I saw a half-eaten deer leg within the first minute of climbing (the rest of the ride I kept thinking of the cougar, bear, or zombie which was eyeing me from the bushes as I rode by). I love to climb. I love burning my quads like Hades. It felt good to be riding. Unfortunately, this side road only lasted a little bit before I made it up to the top of the ridge/mountain. Here this trail ties back up with one of the major dirt roads again. There are some decent views here. I then took the little road downhill. Man, I'm must be a total old fogie, because wow---I think I rode the breaks the entire way down! The road was steep, and I hit some high speeds within seconds. There were also rocks to watch out for as well. In other words, I rode it like an old person (which I am I suppose). But it was fun. It's the kind of fun, where you just have to yell with abandon (I think I did a few times--with a smile). These trails are definitely good for snow activities, and I'd say they are decent for bike riding. I don't know if I'd come here to do some straight-up hiking though. I'd save the Cascades for that. NOTE: Be careful on this road in the winter. This is the infamous scene of where my truck and my crew rolled down a mountain just over a year ago!

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

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.

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.

Ok, ok, I didn't really hike this trail, and I reckon I won't be able to until next June (it will…read morebe snowed in till then), but we tried to hike it, darn it!! Yes, for a first date, I chose a hike. Unfortunately, there were a few issues (which weren't the trail's fault): 1) Getting to the trail head is a bit of a drive. Yes, it takes about 1hr (from Tri-Cities) to get to the first dirt road, but after that, you have something like another hour of dirt road driving. 2) We picked a day with questionable weather. As we were approaching the Blues (i.e. The Blue Mountains), we were accompanied by some dark ominous clouds. So yeah, for much of the dirt road driving, we had some precipitation. 3) It was hard to find the trailhead. The place I loaded on my gps was a wrong location. Lucky, we ran into some campers/hunters, and they were able to sorta point us in the right direction. For the record, I'm pretty sure the have the correct location on this Yelp page. So, the place goes by several names: Mt. Misery Trailhead, Teepee Campground, Oregon Butte Trail, etc. I think they are all here. We originally came here in search of the Oregon Butte, and the Fire Lookout on top of the Butte. But as I said, the weather was dreary, we drove a ways...and it was a first date!! I didn't want to get us further lost, all muddy, and I really didn't want to my date to think I was a total outdoors loser...which I can be sometimes, as many can attest. At any rate, the forest of the Blues is far different from the Cascades. You don't have huge mountains & great views. The terrain here is frankly boring, but I do have to say at this trailhead the scenery looked nice. There was a nice big valley that we overlooked, and the thought of a Fire Lookout also sounded cool. Well, all of this work was recon for our next "real" attempt. The drive out here is interesting. During the drive we came across several springs (they had troughs at them, for horses I reckon). At the Trailhead, there is a Northwest Forest Pass requirement ($5). This hike is recommended from June - Oct.

Perfect cabin for me & my two adult daughters & my three 10-13 yr old granddaughters to spend a…read morecouple nights! Used the picnic table, the fire pit, the small refrigerator & the clean nearby shower house! Very pleasant & little noise from nearby interstate for restful nights.

We've been camping here at Emigrant Springs State Park for a couple year's now and have always…read moreenjoyed our time here. Always in the cabins. The cabins have a cozy vibe but they are pretty standard cabins. I heard they are about to take out all the mini fridges inside the cabins along with the gas oven / 3 burner stove top on the deck. That feature has been a staple for us. Not bringing our big @$$ cook stove was awesome but no more. That's fine. We'll be bringing our big @$$ stove.

Let me just start by saying it's a drive, but it's worth it. Just stunning views. It was about an…read morehour and a half from Joseph. Apple Maps* doesn't actually take you to the right spot (see my maps screen shot). I think Google maps is more accurate. Just keep following the road signs and you'll find it though! Amazing views and definitely worth the drive. There's public bathrooms (don't expect too much) and plenty of parking. There's only two, but we found an open picnic table and hung around with some wine for about an hour. No garbage cans so be prepared to take back what you bring with you. I would recommend taking snacks to picnic and make the most of it since the drive is long and windy.

Hells Canyon is a dramatic feature housing the Snake River along the Oregon/Idaho border. It's very…read morewell known for fishing and whitewater recreation. There are a couple of ways to experience Hells Canyon - you can drive down the canyon itself, take a boat tour past the dam (where the road ends), or you can head up into the Wallowas and score some spectacular views from up top. This is that up-top spot. To get to the overlook be ready to go deep up the National Forest Service roads. Mostly gravel. Take NF 39 off of State Route 86, and then turn up NF 490. This will take you close to the wilderness area and into gorgeous mountains studded with stands of evergreens, alpine meadows, and, at the right time of year, tons of wildflowers. The Wallowas are considered one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon... but that's a story for another review. This overlook is fairly primitive but has everything you need to take in the 270-degree panoramas from this vantage. Picnic tables, toilets, a parking area, and a small trail out to where you get the best views out over Hells Canyon. While the views from up here are expansive, they don't really do the canyon justice. It's hard to see deep down into the canyon from here. But that said, the views are still great. We visited in late June on a hot, early-summer year, so the wildflowers were in full effect at this location. Tons of delicate alpine flowers. So pretty! The interpretive signs give you some good info on the geography of the area as well as info on the local wolf population. So cool to be in the area where these endangered animals still roam. Coming from Portland, I hear about the gray wolves from time to time on NPR. It's great to be out where they actually might pass by every once in a while. It's a strong punctuation on the remoteness of the location. After soaking in views and catching a picnic here, you can continue on NF 490 to complete a loop down the NW side of the Wallowas into Wallowa lake and Joseph, a path we followed, which offers a ton of great gravel-road driving. Insane alpine views, sweet untouched air, and deep green solitude. I highly recommend taking this byway. A much more interesting way to get from nowhere to nowhere. The road less traveled.