Recreational Areas
Eagle Cap Wilderness. At more than 360,000 acres, this is the largest wilderness area in Oregon, encompassing most of the Wallowa range with 535 miles of trails for hard-core backpackers and horseback riders. Most of the popular trailheads are along Eagle Cap's northern edge, accessible from Enterprise or Joseph, but you also can find several trailheads 20 to 30 miles southeast of La Grande along Route 203. Some areas of the wilderness are accessible year-round, while the high-elevation areas are accessible only for a few months in summer. To park at many trailheads you must purchase a Northwest Forest Pass for $5 per day, or $30 per year. To hike into the wilderness, you also need to get a free permit that will alert rangers of your plans. Wallowa Mountains Ranger Office, 201 E. 2nd St., Joseph, Oregon, 97846. 541/426–5546; www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman.
Wallowa Lake. A few miles south of Joseph proper on Highway 351 (or the Wallowa Lake Highway), sparkling, blue-green Wallowa Lake is the highest body of water in eastern Oregon (elevation 5,000 feet). Boating and fishing are popular, and the lake supports a whole vacation village on its southern end, complete with cabins, restaurants, and miniature golf. Wallowa Lake Hwy., Joseph, Oregon.
Wallowa Lake State Park. On the south shore of beautiful Wallowa Lake, just a 10-minute drive south of downtown Joseph, this alpine park with a highly popular campground is surrounded on three sides by 9,000-foot-tall snowcapped mountains. Popular activities include fishing and powerboating on the lake, plus hiking wilderness trails, horseback riding, and canoeing. Nearby are a marina, bumper boats, miniature golf, and the tramway to the top of Mt. Howard. 72214 Marina La., off Hwy. 351, Joseph, Oregon, 97846. 541/432–4185; 800/551–6949; www.oregonstateparks.org. Day use $5 per vehicle. Daily.
Wallowa Mountains. Forming a rugged U-shape fortress between Hells Canyon on the Idaho border and the Blue Mountains, the Wallowas are sometimes called the American Alps or Little Switzerland. The granite peaks in this range are between 5,000 and 9,000 feet in height. Dotted with crystalline alpine lakes and meadows, rushing rivers, and thickly forested valleys that fall between the mountain ridges, the Wallowas have a grandeur that can take your breath away. Bighorn sheep, elk, deer, and mountain goats populate the area. Nearly all the trails in the Wallowa Mountains are at least partially contained within the Eagle Cap Wilderness. The offices and visitor center for the mountains are in Joesph at the Wallowa Mountains ranger office of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, but you can access different parts of the range from different towns in the region, including Enterprise, La Grande, and Baker City. Wallowa Mountains Ranger Office, 201 E. 2nd St., Joseph, Oregon, 97846. 541/426–5546; www.fs.usda.gov/detail/wallowa-whitman.
Rainbow trout, kokanee, and mackinaw are among the species of fish in 300-foot-deep, 4-mile-long Wallowa Lake. You can picnic on the water at several moored docks.
