Northwest Magazines

Oregon Vacation Guide - Eastern Oregon

EASTERN OREGON

EASTERN OREGON IS called the Land of Extremes for good reason. Snow-clad peaks, fragrant high desert, fertile farmland, and roaring rivers—the east side of the state is full of surprises. Autumn is a good time to drive the scenic byways or ride the excursion train between Joseph and Elgin, watch wildlife, or take bike rides around the valleys. 

Winter brings a multitude of outdoor activities. In addition to downhill and cross-country skiing, there are several hundred miles of groomed snowshoe and snowmobile trails, as well as frozen lakes for ice fishing. Migrating birds and game make for great wildlife watching. Although the connecting loops of some scenic byways are closed in the winter, all of the towns are accessible and open for business.

Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, a 286-mile drive open all year, begins at Biggs along the Columbia River, winds past the John Day Fossils Beds National Monument and 40 million years’ worth of geological wonders, and culminates in Baker City.

Blue Mountain Scenic Byway also begins along the Columbia River and heads southeast toward Heppner on Hwy 74, follows Forest Service Road 53 to Ukiah, and on to Baker City. Panoramic views are offered at Potamus Point and Bridgecreek Wildlife Area, including views of the wild and scenic John Day River and Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Although FS 53 is closed in the winter due to heavy snow, you can drive the parts of the byway to Anthony Lake and Sumpter

HEPPNER
Nestled among rolling hills in wheat and cattle country, Heppner provides access to great hunting, fishing, off-roading, camping, bicycling, and snowmobiling. istoric Heppner is the western portal to the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway, where visitors can stop to experience the Morrow County Museum, murals, the 1903 Flood Memorial, the 100-year old courthouse, and the biggest shamrock in the world, symbolic of the annual Wee Bit o’ Ireland celebration.

ECHO
The tiny town of Echo along I–84 boasts about 10 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including their city hall, museums, churches, a restaurant, and Echo Cemetery, dating to the mid-1800s.Trail sites mark the passage of ancient American Indians as well as Oregon Trail pioneers.

PENDLETON
Recently named one of the “Top Ten Western Towns in the Nation, ”Pendleton was once a wild frontier town. Located along the Umatilla River, Pendleton got its start in the 1840s when settlers traveling the Oregon Trail began ranching and farming in the fertile countryside.

The Pendleton Round-Up is considered by many to be the best rodeo in America. First held in 1910, the celebration (September 13–16, 2006) includes a rodeo, cowboy breakfasts and barbecues, big-name concerts, two parades, dances, art shows, and nightly pageants that portray the culture of the American Indians who call this region home. The Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame recently re-opened in a new building across the street from the arena and tells the stories of the people and the animals that have made this event so famous.

The Pendleton Woolen Mills was founded in 1899 by Thomas Kay, an English weaver. Free tours of the mill are given on weekdays; the mill shop is open daily.

Pendleton Underground Tours take visitors through tunnels that were built and occupied by Chinese workers around the turn of last century. Tours explore the tunnels under Pendleton’s Historic District and tell stories of the city’s colorful past.

Visits to the Heritage Station Museum, begin with a trip through exhibit galleries housed in the old train depot—a one-room schoolhouse, a caboose, and a homestead exhibit—as well as the museum store.

Winter days are the perfect time to take kids to the Children’s Museum of Eastern Oregon. Children have fun and learn something too from the 12 interactive, hands-on exhibits.

Wildhorse Resort & Casino offers 24-hour gaming, Scottish links-style golf, and a newly refurbished 100-room hotel. Services include a restaurant, snack bar, gift shop, 100-space RV park, and free shuttle service.

Tamastslikt Cultural Institute Museum chronicles thousands of years of life on the Columbia Plateau from the perspectives of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla.

Bar M Ranch at Bingham Hot Springs has been providing rewarding western ranch vacations for the entire family for more than 60 years. The 3000-acre ranch 31 miles east of Pendleton is tucked away in the Blue Mountains along the Umatilla River. Visitors enjoy horseback riding, fly-fishing, a hot springs pool, and indoor and outdoor activities.

Tollgate and surrounding SnoParks offer premier snowmobiling in eastern Oregon. Numerous SnoParks are spread out along Hwy 204 in the Umatilla National Forest northeast of Pendleton.

LA GRANDE
With 12,600 residents, La Grande serves as the center of commerce, recreation, higher education, and state government in a three-county area. Home to Eastern Oregon University, La Grande hosts many cultural and sports events. It sits on the western edge of the Grande Ronde Valley, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

The Eastern Oregon Fire Museum is in downtown La Grande’s century-old former fire station and features six vintage engines, along with exhibits covering 100 years of firefighting.

Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area and Nature Trail, 6 miles south of La Grande, covers nearly 5000 acres of restored marsh and mountainside elk habitat. A bird and wildlife watcher’s dream, Ladd Marsh features a nature trail, photography blinds, a driving tour, and a viewpoint.

The Union County Museum is acclaimed for its “Cowboys Then and Now” collection, settlement history exhibits, and agriculture courtyard. The museum is in Union, 15 miles southeast of La Grande.

Gilstrap Brothers Winery is set on the western slopes of the Wallowa Mountains above the tiny town of Cove east of La Grande. Open by appointment in the winter.

Spout Springs, located midway between Elgin and Weston on Hwy 204, is a full-service downhill and cross-country ski area with well-groomed slopes and an extensive trail system. With a large, elongated vertical drop, skiers enjoy. plenty of powder. Spout Springs is also home of the Northwest’s largest freestyle tubing hill.

Meacham Divide Nordic Ski Area is located off of I–84 exit 243 at Summit Road between La Grande and Pendleton. Meacham offers outstanding scenery and 15 miles of ski trails that are groomed up to three times a week depending on weather conditions. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular on un-groomed trails near the SnoPark at Catherine Creek Summit south of Union on Hwy 203.

ELGIN
Elgin is a great stop along the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway 20 miles northeast of La Grande on Hwy 82 (the Wallowa Lake Hwy). It is a jumping off point for fishing and rafting. It is also the west portal of the historic Wallowa Union Railroad on which the Eagle Cap Excursion Train operates.

The Elgin Museum is housed within a restored theater once known as the Elgin Opera House. The museum tells the fascinating history of the Indian Valley.

ENTERPRISE AND JOSEPH
The communities of Enterprise and Joseph are surrounded by some of the most scenic country in the Northwest, drawing artists and artisans who make art a key industry in the area. Great base points for excursions into the Eagle Cap Wilderness or Hells Canyon, the towns have friendly shops and accommodations that provide comfort and supplies.

Eagle Cap Excursion Train carries passengers into scenic canyon country along the Wallowa and Grande Ronde rivers on 60 miles of historic railroad line between Elgin and Joseph.

Eagle Cap Wilderness draws rock climbers, mountain bikers, campers, hikers,
llama trekkers, and horseback riders to its granite peaks and glacier-carved valleys. Access the wilderness from campgrounds and trailheads in Wallowa, Baker, and Union counties, or from the top of Mount Howard’s tramway. Visitors should check route and trail accessibility in advance with the U.S. Forest Service Wallowa Mountains Visitor Center.

Wallowa Lake State Park, 6 miles south of Joseph off Hwy 82, is open year-round. A popular tramway takes passengers to the top of Mount Howard, where snow revelers can utilize 2-1/2 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, snowshoe across the summit, or slide down the wilderness slopes on skis or a snowboard.

Hells Canyon National Recreation Area includes portions of three national forests. Hells Canyon is North America’s deepest river gorge. Year-round campgrounds offer an opportunity to experience the temperate fall and winter climate in and around Hells Canyon. Services for Hells Canyon Country are provided in nearby communities such as Pine and Halfway.

BAKER CITY
Baker City was considered the social center along the Oregon Trail and a major supply center during the Gold Rush era. The historic city has more than 110 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

Elkhorn Wildlife Area has elk viewing excursions available on weekends and holidays from mid-December to February. T&T Wildlife Tours’ horse-drawn trolley takes people on a narrated ride through the large herd of elk wintering 9 miles west of I-84 on North Powder River Lane between Baker City and La Grande.

Anthony Lakes, located 19 miles off I–84 at North Powder exit 285, is a place to experience the light, dry snow of which epic powder days are made—at 8000 feet. Known for its view of the Elkhorn and Wallowa Mountains, the resort has uphill access to 23 runs and a new “wonder carpet” lift on an instructional slope providing easy loading for beginners.

National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is the biggest draw to Baker City. The center’s interactive displays and living history demonstrations combine to make one of the most comprehensive re-creations of the pioneers’ experiences. Visitors can walk on paved trails alongside the scars carved by wagons. From I–84, take exit 302 and travel east for 5 miles to Flagstaff Hill.

Sumpter is known as the liveliest ghost town in Oregon. It is a true Gold Rush town in the Blue Mountains along the Elkhorn Scenic Byway. Sumpter, west of Baker City on Hwy 7, has year-round recreation, fishing, mountain biking, gold panning, ATV trails, and 350 miles of groomed snowmobile trails.

Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area saw millions of dollars in gold extracted between the Gold Rush and the 1950s. It is located at the base of the majestic granite peaks of the Elkhorn Mountain Range along Hwy 7. The dredge is an important link to Oregon’s pioneering past and development. And it is one of the largest gold dredges in the country. The trail around the park is open all year.

JOHN DAY
The largest town in Grant County, John Day is surrounded by thousands of acres of national forests and wilderness. In town, stop by the Grant County Chamber of Commerce on Main Street. It’s located in an 1890’s church rectory.

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument lies about 40 miles west of the town of John Day off Hwy 19. Plant and animal fossils here are well-preserved. The 14,000-acre park is divided into widely separated units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno. At the new Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, visitors can watch paleontologists work on fossils.

ONTARIO
Oregon’s gateway to the east, Ontario rests on the banks of the Snake River, the boundary between Oregon and Idaho, at the junctions of I–84 and Hwys 20 and 26.

The Four Rivers Cultural Center & Museum honors the inhabitants and diverse cultures of western Treasure Valley by preserving and recording their history and contributions to the region’s development.

Ontario State Recreation Site is a day-use park on the west bank of the Snake River, a mile north of Ontario along I–84. It is a great place to enjoy fall colors from cottonwood trees.

BURNS
Burns was the unofficial capital of the cattle empires that dominated the high desert grasslands in the late 1800s. Still a friendly “cowboy town” with local buckaroos and plenty of tourist amenities, Burns, at Hwys 395 and 20, is central to travelers headed for the wildlife refuge, Steens Mountain, and the Alvord Desert.

Travel down Hwy 205 from Burns to Fields for 127 miles. The High Desert Discovery Scenic Byway passes sage-covered hills, rimrock canyons, marshes, grassy valleys, and snow-capped mountains. The route provides access to Steens Mountain, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Kiger Mustang Viewing Area, and Peter French Round Barn.

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, just off Hwy 205, is home to more than 250 species of birds and about 60 species of mammals, some of which can be observed year-round while hiking, biking, fishing, or horseback riding. The refuge headquarters is 32 miles southeast of Burns on Malheur Lake. The refuge and museum are open daily. The visitors center is open weekends according to volunteer availability (541-493-2612).

DIAMOND
The Diamond area, located just off Hwy 205 and Hwy 78,offers a snapshot of ranch country.

The Peter French Round Barn, a unique structure built in the late 1870s,was used originally as a place to break horses during long, hard winters. A hundred feet in diameter, it was designed and constructed by local cattle baron Peter French and is now located on state park lands in Happy Valley. Next door is a visitors center, home of Jenkins’ Historical Tours, the Jenkins Family Museum, and a gift shop.

FRENCHGLEN
This tiny town, due south of Burns on Hwy 205, is the gateway to Steens Mountain.

The Frenchglen Hotel State Heritage Site, along Hwy 205, is a historic eight-room hotel built in the 1920s. It offers accommodations from mid-March to mid-November.