OK Boys and Girls, I'd like some input regarding an upcoming trip I am taking.
For a year or two my girlfriend and I have tossed around the idea of taking the "ultimate" Oregon road trip. We are both lifelong Oregonians, and I have at least been through most areas of the state but haven't spent a whole lot of time thoroughly exploring things East of the Cascades- beyond the normal "touristy" stuff.
So, starting on July 29, we are both free to roam for a while. I'd like to take roughly 10 days to see the state from the cascades and eastward. I have a few must-do locations I want to hit, but am open to all suggestions on places to see. The Wallowas, Painted Hills, Steens, and Crater Lake are a few of the major targets. Photography isn't the main focus of the trip, but obviously I'd like to squeeze in as much as possible. I have to keep her interests in mind as well. Other than nature stuff that Oregon has to offer, we both like small towns, cool old bars, good food, and interesting people with interesting stories. Oh, a river with a good swimming hole is always a nice bonus too. You get the point; Fancy hotels and resorts are no-no's. The "real" Oregon is what we want to see.
We'll be mostly car camping with a few overnighter backpack trips tossed in here and there, and maybe even a night or two in motels just to get cleaned up and updated with the most recent TV buzz on Michael Jackson's ongoing soap opera. I don't want to run on a strict schedule. If I find a really cool spot, we might just hang out there for a few days. If we run out of time and don't make it all the way around the state; that's OK too- It will give us a good reason to take another trip soon.
So I ask you this: If you had ~10 days and a bottomless gas tank where would you go?
My rough plan is to leave from Portland and head up the Gorge towards the Wallowas. From there, its south to the Steens/Alvord Desert, and then West and back up the East side of the Cascades stopping at Crater lake, and a few other places I have in mind. Then We'd probably jog back eastward to the painted hills before returning to Portland.
Thanks for any input or ideas you might have. I know a lot of you have probably done similar trips and have some valuable insight on places to camp or places stop to eat. Maybe I have lost my marbles and this is all too ambitious? I'm all ears, folks. Lets hear you thoughts. Thanks.
I just came back from a couple of weeks driving around the eastern half of Oregon myself!
I would highly recommend the loop from Baker City back through the gold towns of Sumpter/Granite etc, traversing down through to Austin Junction and then on 26 east to Vale/Ontario. The loop down from Ontario on 95 (ION Highway) is wonderful with side trips off to SW Idaho (Owyhee Canyon/Silver City/BLM lands) and then down through Jordan Valley, Rome, Burns Junction back up 78 towards Burns. (the quintessential straight road to nowhere shots there btw). I have a Land Rover and so it was also fun to follow a lot of the older trails around all of these areas.
You'll definitely want to think about the loop from 78 south along Fields-Denio Rd towards Fields and the Alvord lake etc. I actually based myself in Burns for a couple of days and enjoyed the trip south from there via Malheur Lake, Steens Mtn (top portion had closed gates alas a couple of weeks ago) and down to Fields and back up via the Alvord. Remember to start each trip with a FULL tank of gas because services are few and far between out there!
Thanks for the reply Graham. That's exactly the kind of details I am looking for. I've been drooling over maps of those areas for a few days trying to figure out what is feasible time-wise, and what are the best routes to take.
Thanks for the heads up on the steens too. I assumed the gates would be open. I'll make some phone calls to see if anything has or will be opening there in the next few weeks.
And I am definitely taking an extra 5 gallon gas can. I have a bad habit of driving, and driving.....and driving. You never know whats around the next corner!
What a great plan, Aaron! Lot's of great things to see and photograph in the places you listed, and the 10 days will go fast. A few suggestions:
- In the Wallowas, the state park at Wallowa Lake is nice but also very popular and therefore busy and often crowded in mid-summer. There are smaller USFS campgrounds in the Lostine River valley, and you can also do day hikes into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from the trailhead at the end of the road there. But back at Wallowa Lake the tram ride up to Mount Howard is fun and a great overview of the area.
- If you decide to add Hell's Canyon to the list, go to the Hat Point Lookout east of the Wallowa Valley. It's the only lookout where you can see all the way down to the Snake River. On the way check out the general store/saloon in Imnaha. A classic.
- I agree with Graham's recommendation to visit the gold rush towns, especially Sumpter. You can also get there by taking the Elkorn Scenic Byway from North Powder on I-84, traveling west and then south through the Elkhorn mountains to Sumpter. Very scenic route. But if you're interested in history, go via Baker City and visit the Oregon Trail sites at Flagstaff Hill and Blue Mountain Crossing.
- I also like Graham's suggestion for the Owyhee/Leslie Gulch/Jordan Valley area, but time-wise you might need to save that for another trip.
- May be too late now, but for the Steens part of your trip see if you can get a reservation at the Frenchglen Hotel. Small, historic inn at the base of the Steens and south end of Malheur NWR; it's a State Park but operating hotel with great food in the common dining room. If the hotel is booked, the BLM Page Springs Campground at the base of Steens road is nice. There's also good camping on Steens at Fish Lake and Jackman Park. Unless they've recently graded the south half of the Steens loop road, just do the drive from Page Springs to the summit and Wildhorse Lake and return the same way - that south half has always been a real bear to drive and you won't miss much scenery-wise.
- From Steens to Crater Lake, a possible route is via Hart Mountain NWR (35+ miles of good/okay gravel road). Very nice campground at Hart NWR, with natural hot springs. Stop at the general stores/saloons in Plush and Adel, then Hwy 140 to Lakeview, continuing to K Falls and up to Crater Lake.
- If you've got any time left when you get to the Painted Hills, consider hitting the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds NM, too, and especially do the hike into Blue Basin. Loop up Hwy 19 to the town of Fossil - dig your own, get refreshments at the classic country store merchantile or use the wi-fi at the Shamrock bar around the corner.
As fond of the Oregon coast as I am I might be tempted to do this: Bend area, Crater Lake, then the entire Oregon coastline.
Have fun!!!
Mark
Posted by Tyson Fisher on July 23, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Sounds like a pretty sweet trip you and your girlfriend have planned. You're definitely covering a lot of ground but it is a road trip after all. I think hitting I-84 and getting to the east side of the state quickly is a smart way to go given the amount of time you have. I sometimes prefer to take 26 over Hood and through Mitchell and the Painted Hills then cut north to Enterprise-Joseph. As far as a quick trip into the Wallowas, I would personally recommend Hurricane Creek. This hike is an excellent introduction to the Wallowas. The road to the trailhead isn't long and dusty like the one up the Lostine Canyon. There are also some great little secluded campsites along Hurricane Cr. a few miles before the road ends. Ice Lake is another hike worth looking into. For this one you'll start from near Wallowa Lake CG and hike up the West Fork Wallowa River. I think it is 7mi one way with some pretty good el. gain. If you have the time to make it up there the view of the Matterhorn and Sacajawea Peak is amazing. As a side note, I would consider stopping at the Terminal Gravity Brewery outside Joseph. They have weird hours; I always seem to pass through when they're closed (usually midweek). The town of Imnaha is definitely worth visiting, but I don't know, this might be squeezing too much in if you try and do a Wallowas hike.
You'll love the east side of the Steens. Pike Cr is a nice hike. Make sure you stop in Fields and meet Tom and Sandy (very nice couple). They're the owners of the motel/gas station/restaurant. I drove the road Greg recommended from Frenchglen to Plush last winter and it was in great shape. They'd recently graded it. I would HIGHLY recommend going this way.
If you have time to stop at the Painted Hills there is a good local breakfast place in Mitchell (across from the bear cage, you can't miss it) Tom from Fields was telling me there is a place not far up the road from Mitchell that makes the BEST maple bars (a major weakness for me). I haven't passed through since he told me about it though.
Discussion
5 repliesFor a year or two my girlfriend and I have tossed around the idea of taking the "ultimate" Oregon road trip. We are both lifelong Oregonians, and I have at least been through most areas of the state but haven't spent a whole lot of time thoroughly exploring things East of the Cascades- beyond the normal "touristy" stuff.
So, starting on July 29, we are both free to roam for a while. I'd like to take roughly 10 days to see the state from the cascades and eastward. I have a few must-do locations I want to hit, but am open to all suggestions on places to see. The Wallowas, Painted Hills, Steens, and Crater Lake are a few of the major targets. Photography isn't the main focus of the trip, but obviously I'd like to squeeze in as much as possible. I have to keep her interests in mind as well. Other than nature stuff that Oregon has to offer, we both like small towns, cool old bars, good food, and interesting people with interesting stories. Oh, a river with a good swimming hole is always a nice bonus too. You get the point; Fancy hotels and resorts are no-no's. The "real" Oregon is what we want to see.
We'll be mostly car camping with a few overnighter backpack trips tossed in here and there, and maybe even a night or two in motels just to get cleaned up and updated with the most recent TV buzz on Michael Jackson's ongoing soap opera.
So I ask you this: If you had ~10 days and a bottomless gas tank where would you go?
My rough plan is to leave from Portland and head up the Gorge towards the Wallowas. From there, its south to the Steens/Alvord Desert, and then West and back up the East side of the Cascades stopping at Crater lake, and a few other places I have in mind. Then We'd probably jog back eastward to the painted hills before returning to Portland.
Thanks for any input or ideas you might have. I know a lot of you have probably done similar trips and have some valuable insight on places to camp or places stop to eat. Maybe I have lost my marbles and this is all too ambitious? I'm all ears, folks. Lets hear you thoughts. Thanks.
I would highly recommend the loop from Baker City back through the gold towns of Sumpter/Granite etc, traversing down through to Austin Junction and then on 26 east to Vale/Ontario. The loop down from Ontario on 95 (ION Highway) is wonderful with side trips off to SW Idaho (Owyhee Canyon/Silver City/BLM lands) and then down through Jordan Valley, Rome, Burns Junction back up 78 towards Burns. (the quintessential straight road to nowhere shots there btw). I have a Land Rover and so it was also fun to follow a lot of the older trails around all of these areas.
You'll definitely want to think about the loop from 78 south along Fields-Denio Rd towards Fields and the Alvord lake etc. I actually based myself in Burns for a couple of days and enjoyed the trip south from there via Malheur Lake, Steens Mtn (top portion had closed gates alas a couple of weeks ago) and down to Fields and back up via the Alvord. Remember to start each trip with a FULL tank of gas because services are few and far between out there!
I wish I had more time as I'd still be out there!
That'll be a good start!
Thanks for the heads up on the steens too. I assumed the gates would be open. I'll make some phone calls to see if anything has or will be opening there in the next few weeks.
And I am definitely taking an extra 5 gallon gas can. I have a bad habit of driving, and driving.....and driving. You never know whats around the next corner!
Thanks for the help. Much appreciated.
- In the Wallowas, the state park at Wallowa Lake is nice but also very popular and therefore busy and often crowded in mid-summer. There are smaller USFS campgrounds in the Lostine River valley, and you can also do day hikes into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from the trailhead at the end of the road there. But back at Wallowa Lake the tram ride up to Mount Howard is fun and a great overview of the area.
- If you decide to add Hell's Canyon to the list, go to the Hat Point Lookout east of the Wallowa Valley. It's the only lookout where you can see all the way down to the Snake River. On the way check out the general store/saloon in Imnaha. A classic.
- I agree with Graham's recommendation to visit the gold rush towns, especially Sumpter. You can also get there by taking the Elkorn Scenic Byway from North Powder on I-84, traveling west and then south through the Elkhorn mountains to Sumpter. Very scenic route. But if you're interested in history, go via Baker City and visit the Oregon Trail sites at Flagstaff Hill and Blue Mountain Crossing.
- I also like Graham's suggestion for the Owyhee/Leslie Gulch/Jordan Valley area, but time-wise you might need to save that for another trip.
- May be too late now, but for the Steens part of your trip see if you can get a reservation at the Frenchglen Hotel. Small, historic inn at the base of the Steens and south end of Malheur NWR; it's a State Park but operating hotel with great food in the common dining room. If the hotel is booked, the BLM Page Springs Campground at the base of Steens road is nice. There's also good camping on Steens at Fish Lake and Jackman Park. Unless they've recently graded the south half of the Steens loop road, just do the drive from Page Springs to the summit and Wildhorse Lake and return the same way - that south half has always been a real bear to drive and you won't miss much scenery-wise.
- From Steens to Crater Lake, a possible route is via Hart Mountain NWR (35+ miles of good/okay gravel road). Very nice campground at Hart NWR, with natural hot springs. Stop at the general stores/saloons in Plush and Adel, then Hwy 140 to Lakeview, continuing to K Falls and up to Crater Lake.
- If you've got any time left when you get to the Painted Hills, consider hitting the Sheep Rock Unit of John Day Fossil Beds NM, too, and especially do the hike into Blue Basin. Loop up Hwy 19 to the town of Fossil - dig your own, get refreshments at the classic country store merchantile or use the wi-fi at the Shamrock bar around the corner.
Have a great trip!
Have fun!!!
Mark
You'll love the east side of the Steens. Pike Cr is a nice hike. Make sure you stop in Fields and meet Tom and Sandy (very nice couple). They're the owners of the motel/gas station/restaurant. I drove the road Greg recommended from Frenchglen to Plush last winter and it was in great shape. They'd recently graded it. I would HIGHLY recommend going this way.
If you have time to stop at the Painted Hills there is a good local breakfast place in Mitchell (across from the bear cage, you can't miss it) Tom from Fields was telling me there is a place not far up the road from Mitchell that makes the BEST maple bars (a major weakness for me). I haven't passed through since he told me about it though.
Hope some of this helps.
Safe Travels,
Tyson