For years, inner NE Oregon has been on my bucket list! I have seen the areas around it, but never been in the thick of it. I have been to Halfway, Oregon. I have been to Hells Canyon. I have hiked the Wallowa Mountains. I have backpacked the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Three of Oregon’s Scenic Byways lie there: Journey Thru Time Oregon Scenic Byway, Elkhorn Oregon Scenic Byway, and Blue Mountain Oregon Scenic Byway.
I have always been curious about the less renowned Blue Mountains, and the Elkhorn Mountains. The Central Cascades and Wallowas get all the attention. In the Blue Mountains and Elkhorn Mountains lie the headwaters of the John Day River – the North Fork and Middle Fork.
And 19th Century history lies here. Gold Rush ghost towns, abandoned mines, mine tailings left behind by Chinese prospectors.
The John Day River cuts through a swath this region – made famous by the John Day Fossil Beds, where huge discoveries of Ice Age fossils were made. It meanders lazily in the valley underneath the Strawberry Mountains, where cowboys tend cattle and farmers raise grain. In the Elkhorn Mountains, the road passes gold mines before climbing to over 7,300 ft. then descending to the jewel of Anthony Lake.
Oregon’s Blue Mountains are high altitude rolling hills and vast meadows with limitless views of the Columbia Plateau and John Day River. There, one can simply camp on a horizon-to-horizon meadow, with not a care about neighbors whatsoever
This area is full of beauty and history. But not crowds. By comparison, Central Oregon seems downright urban! It has its own beauty, which is not overwhelmed with volcanoes dominating the view. My next few blogs will cover this beautiful, often overlooked, region.
Cabin Fever Chronicles - Getting Outdoors with Rod 