Elkhorn mountains is a mountain in oregon and has an elevation of 7425 feet. The majority of the wallowas are encompassed by the 360,000acre eagle cap wilderness, which is named for the 9,572foot peak at the hub of the mountains and is the largest designated wilderness. Elk mountain trail begins directly behind the information board. Staying in vail, breckenridge, summit county, steamboat. Noah peters, 7, celebrates hiking to black lake in the elkhorn mountains of eastern oregon. Guide to hiking the elkhorn mountains statesman journal. Lace up your boots and head into oregons remote wallowa mountains.
Elk creek trail begins on the old road tillamook past the large boulders at the far end of the trailhead. Turn north onto elk creek road, continue through the campground and cross the bridge to the trailhead. For the peakbaggers out there, the elkhorns contain of. Panoramic views of the baker valley and the wallowa mountains meet the eye to the east, while the endless folds of the blue mountains fade away to the south and west. A backpackers guide to eastern oregons elkhorn crest trail. Oregons tallest waterfall, multnomah falls was the states most popular tourist attraction until it lost that title to a casino. A guide to hiking elkhorn mountains in eastern oregon. Free guide at oregon state parks maps and publications neahkahnie mountain is near manzanita and nehalem bay, oregon, south of cannon beach.
Shop for washington and oregon hiking guidebooks at rei free u. In 1985 he backpacked miles across oregons wilderness. Guide to washingtons hiking trails the seattle times. Saddle mountain state natural area is clearly marked in plenty of time to make your right turn off the highway and onto the park access. Ap heres a guide to almost all of the best easy, moderate and challenging hikes at anthony lake and the elkhorn mountains. You can check the library or maybe has a used copy for sale. The hemlocks and spruces were lovely, but on the small side. A fifthgeneration oregonian, sullivan began hiking at the age of five and has been exploring new trails ever since.
The complete guide to 1, 000 of the best hikes in washington and oregon judd, ron c. Running for 28 miles along the elkhorn range at an average elevation of 7200 feet, this scenic trail takes you past some of the tallest peaks of oregons blue mountains. We were supposed to hike 10 miles back to the anthony lakeelkhorn crest trail head and be done. The 361,000acre eagle cap wilderness area runs the entire length of the wallowa mountains in northeast oregon. Hiking oregons eagle cap wilderness by fred barstad. Page down and youll see links to tongue river canyon hike and bucking mule fallsdevil canyon hike with pages missing, of course. The elkhorn mountains are situated in the central portion of the extensive blue mountains that extend from southeast washington into adjacent oregon in a northeast to southeast orientation. In regards to peakbagging, gearhart mountain is perhaps most notable for being the most prominent point in lake county, the 10thmost prominent point in oregon, and the 67th.
Some of the books do overlap with others on popular hikes, but all the books offer their own view and thoughts on the hikes. The highest point in the range is rock creek butte, which is 9,106 feet 2,776 m above sea level. From the pacific shoreline to the blue mountains, oregon offers a remarkable diversity. Elkhorn peak is a climbing adventure located in or near haines, or. All areas portland area willamette valley oregon coast washington coast southwest washington columbia river gorge mount hood central oregon southern oregon eastern oregon. The elkhorn mountains are a mountain range, part of the blue mountains, in the northeastern part of oregon in the united states.
The area spans the triangle from pilot mountain state park to the great smoky mountains national park west and down to. The trail itself is a 23mile oneway backpack, but the two highest peaks in the range, rock creek butte and elkhorn peak can be. The elkhorn mountains are partly within the wallowawhitman national forest and the north fork john day wilderness see also. If you know how they go please email me and i will post it on this page. The peak is the centerpiece of its namesake wilderness, gearhart mountain wilderness area. Both mountain bikers and hikers use this trail since vpl is not in the illogical mtbprohibited wilderness area to the. Detailed 6 day mountain weather forecasts for climbers and mountaineers planning expeditions. Explore this wonderland of more than fifty glacial lakes, miles of streams designated as national wild and scenic rivers, hundreds of soaring peaks, and open meadows with elk, deer, bighorn sheep, coyote, black bear, and cougar.
Climb aneroid, chief joseph, and matterhorn mountains. They are one of the most diverse and interesting landscapes in northeast oregon with glaciated alpine mountains, dramatic river canyons and remote roadless areas yet most hiking activity is confined to just two sites. His adventure memoir, listening for coyote, the story of his mile hike across the state, was chosen one of oregons 100 books. The shadow appears to be a human face in late december and january on a clear day. The elkhorn crest trail runs along the elkhorn ridge of the blue mountains in eastern oregon. Explore more in our professional, high quality trail guides and. This is a view of the elkhorn mountains from baker city, oregon. It is some of the wildest and most remote land left in oregon and the object of a 40year love affair for conservationist andy kerr. Elk mountain adventures about steamboat springs, co.
Top quality, great selection and expert advice you can trust. Gearhart mountain is highelevation mountain located in southcentral oregon. Ap heres a guide to almost all of the best easy, moderate and challenging hikes at anthony lake and the elkhorn. Welcome to oregons favorite hiking area, the mountains between the willamette. The complete guide to 1, 000 of the best hikes in washington and oregon. Hike the elkhorn crest trail, marble pass trail head. Lace up your boots and sample fifty of the finest trails in the beaver state. Buffalo ranger district, bighorn national forest, 307. It is an inactive volcanic mountain range with the highest point being crow peak at 9,414 ft 2,869 m, right next to elkhorn peak, 9,381 ft 2,859 m. Elkhorn peak, located near haines, oregon is a 9 mile climbing trail with a top elevation of 8931 feet. Entire books have been written about the backpacking possibilities of whats.
Sullivan is the author of 18 books and numerous articles about oregon, including an oregon trails column for the eugene registerguard and salem statesmanjournal. Hill provides lists that appeal to a variety of hikers interests, such as best beach and coastal. I own each of these books for hiking around the seattle area. We feature polaris trail performance snowmobiles for cornertocorner quickness and the best allaround control. The lake is accessed by a trail just short of 3 miles in distance, and ft. There are many hiking trails throughout the big horn mountains and bighorn national forest, providing the hikerbackpacker with scenic views of mountain vistas, lakes, and wildlife. The scale of the land itself was cause for celebration. Just a generation ago, a hunter would have been hardpressed to find a. The 5 best backpacking routes in eastern oregon statesman journal. A guide to hiking elkhorn mountains in eastern oregon outdoors.
Four main river tributaries, over fifty high mountain lakes including the highest lake in oregon and over five hundred miles of trails are begging. The lakes contain rainbow, cutthroat, brook, and german brown trout. Portland hikers find a hike in the northwest oregon hikers. W hether youre looking for a short and fitnessworthy hike, a day fishing trip, or a family trip, van patten lake vpl in the elkhorn mountains of oregon offers it all. There are at least 100 mountain goats that roam the area and its amazing to watch. The image below shows a rocky top about 50 above the trail. The elkhorn crest trail is a national recreation trail and the highest trail in the blue mountains, crossing alpine and subalpine life zones up to 8,200 elevation. In the background are manzanita, nehalem bay and the state park between the beach and the bay. You have children and would like to take them with you into the backcountry. This story is featured in montana outdoors novemberdecember 2010 issue.
Hiking north carolinas blue ridge mountains hiker to. Springer mountain is one of georgias most popular hiking destinations. Eastern oregon is home to a colorful collection of mountains with names such as. Wallowa mountains hiking and backpacking in oregon.
Still, thousands of visitors pull off the freeway each day to snap photos of the 620foot, twotiered cascade. Your experience will be exciting, safe and memorable. Elkhorn mountains is a mountain in montana and has an elevation of 4944 feet. The most popular times for hiking are from april through november. Or, you can set up a shuttle for the elkhorn crest trail. Guide to washingtons hiking trails whether you like walks in the woods or multiday backpacks, getting closer to nature is a core value of many washingtonians. In 70 hikes through snowcapped mountain ranges, deep river canyons, sagebrushcovered flats, dry lake playas, moonlike lava fields, and junipercovered hillsides, andy kerr will seduce you too, with the spare and.
We stopped at a few different spots and saw stunning vistas. The geology is notably different than the popular volcanic hikes found in the. On the summit, the ats southern end is commemorated by a bronze plaque near the trails southernmost white. From this ridge you can scramble of multiple peaks, including the highest in the ridge. Exit the trail by hiking angell pass to the anthony lakes trailhead. Hikers may see many species of wildlife including deer, moose and elk as well as numerous small species of animals and birds. Compact and fresh with a broad range of hiking options, this is the most uptodate guide for the area, organized along highway and other travel corridors with an emphasis on trails that are 12 miles or less, roundtrip. The range is surrounded by the cities of helena, montana city, townsend, whitehall, and boulder. Sullivan is best known for his hiking guidebooks and yes, he has hiked every trail he could find in the state but he has also written six novels, three books on. Elkhorn crest hike hiking in portland, oregon and washington. The trails here closed after a 2017 wildfire and may not reopen until 2019. Guide to backpacking oregons elkhorn crest trail field mag.
Including bellevue, everett, and tacoma my current goto book for local hiking on new trails. Digital versions of sullivans books are now available from amazon kindle for 9. Wallowa mountains tucked into the northeast corner of oregon, lies some of the most rugged and dynamic landscapes in the northwest. The stunning elkhorn crest national recreation trail takes a high ridge along the length of the elkhorn range past some of the highest peaks in oregons blue mountains. The elkhorn crest contours below rock creek butte about a mile west of the junction with twin lakes trail. Packed with useful information, moon oregon hiking covers a wide selection of hiking trails that will not only inspire a wonderful walk on the wild side, but will also provide an appreciative understanding of the unique landscape that is oregon. With tall granite peaks, deep forested valleys, and numerous lakes, the wallowa mountains offer what is considered by many to be the best hiking in the state of oregon. Mountain climbing weather forecasts for 1 elevations of elkhorn mountain washington, cascade range, pacific coast ranges, united states. Living up to its name how controversial hunting regulations restored big bulls to the elkhorn mountains. Sullivan is the author of 18 books about oregon and many articles, including monthly oregon trails columns for the eugene and salem newspapers. Rock creek butte 9,106 ft and elkhorn peak 8,931 ft. From sunset highway heading west the mountain is about 70 miles from portland. Portland submitted 4 years ago by ssjvash hey everyone, after giving up on the super slow and convoluted website for mount hood, thought id reach out to the community here to get some advice on hiking around mt. This list contains all the summits in the elkhorn mountains that are named or have at least 300 feet of prominence and are over 8,000 feet in elevation.
A round trip hike climbing over 2,000 ft up elk mountain with views of king mountain and the oregon coast. Wallowa mountain outfitters cando attitude will bring you back year after year. Hiking north carolinas blue ridge mountains 384 pages. The forests were not as dense as those i am accustomed to in oregon and washington. Hunter trailhead is 18 miles west of buffalo on us 16, then 3 miles on forest road 19.
There are many animals that may or may not be seen when hiking this trail. The complete guide to 1,000 of the best hikes in washington and oregon by ron c. The trail itself is a 23mile oneway backpack, but the two highest peaks in the range, rock creek butte and elkhorn peak can be reached in a day hike. To climb the 9,106foot peak, follow the trail to the buttes flattishmeadowy west. Backpacking in the bighorns hiking bomber mountain.