1.
Baker City
Your deep canyon adventure starts with a tour of the National Historic District in Baker City, the "Queen City of the Mines." The gold mining boom of the 1890s established a legacy of riches and romance that still exists. North of town, take Oregon Route 86 east to the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Flagstaff Hill. Here, lifelike re-creations capture the triumphs and hardships experienced by the pioneers, while paved footpaths lead to 150-year-old wagon wheel ruts.
2.
The Baker Copperfield Highway
Continue east on Oregon Route 86 through sagebrush-covered plateaus, the fertile farms of Richland, and mining towns like Halfway, Pine and Copperfield. Early pioneers first traveled portions of this route on their way to the Willamette Valley. Gold strikes brought the first settlers in the late 1800s.
3.
Snake River and Hells Canyon
About six miles past the junction of Forest Road 39, you’ll discover the mighty Snake River as it approaches the southern end of Hells Canyon, the deepest river-carved gorge in North America. The river has carved as much as 8,000 feet deep in some places. The 652,488-acre Hells Canyon National Recreation Area contains some of the country’s most unique scenery, plants, wildlife and geology.
4.
Hells Canyon Overlook
To continue the journey and see Hells Canyon from above, go back to Forest Road 39 and travel 16 miles to Forest Road 3965. A short drive brings you to a breathtaking view at Hells Canyon Overlook.
5.
Wallowa Mountains and Eagle Cap Wilderness
Back on Forest Road 39, you’ll head north across the Imnaha River and then west toward some impressive views of the majestic Wallowa Mountains. Venture off onto trails in the Eagle Cap Wilderness and you’ll see why this area is known as the "Switzerland of America."
6.
Joseph and Wallowa Lake
As you skirt the northeast foothills of the Wallowa Range, you’ll soon find yourself in Joseph, a little recreation hub famous for its thriving art community. One mile south of town, glacially formed Wallowa Lake features a monument to Old Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe, a state park with yurts for rent, and a tramway to the summit of Mt. Howard, not to mention superb fishing and hiking.
7.
Wallowa Whitman National Forest Visitors Center
From Joseph, take Oregon Route 82 to the nearby town of Enterprise, where the visitors center offers a magnificent view of the rugged Wallowa Mountains. It also presents the scenic, historic and recreational features of the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
8.
Lively La Grande
Continue west through Wallowa, future home of the Nez Perce Interpretive Center. Your high-mountain adventure ends in La Grande, gateway to recreational pursuits in the Umatilla and the Wallowa-Whitman national forests.
For more information including a detailed Scenic Byway map, contact the Baker County Visitor and Convention Bureau at 800-523-1235, the La Grande-Union County Visitor and Convention Bureau at 800-848-9969, the Wallowa County Chamber of Commerce at 800-585-4121, or the Wallowa Mountains Visitor Center at 541-426-5546.