#Wallowas

where alpine meadows and granite peaks engulf you and transport you to paradise🥹🧚🥾 You do not have to fly to Switzerland to see the most stunning mountains and alpine lakes… The Wallowa Mountains aka the “Swiss Alps of Oregon” offer probably the best scenic hikes in the entire state! It is rugged terrain with vast open valleys, jagged marble and granite peaks, and alpine lakes that look unreal💫 The Wallowa Mountains are located in Eastern Oregon. Glacier Lake is within the Lakes Basin of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, the largest designated wilderness in Oregon🧚 and of course this area is one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon… PRO TIPS- Bring bear spray and bear bags for scented items GPS and maps-there is no cell service Mole skin and extra socks in case of blisters Rain coat and extra layers(weather can change quickly in the mountains) Always check the forecast before taking off Best time of year- Late July through October 📍Glacier Lake ❤️⛺️💦 Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Eagle Cap Wilderness Backpack/camp/swim/climb/fish/enjoy the peace 🥾Two Pan Trailhead Campground or car camp at trailhead if you arrive late 24 miles RT Takes you past Mirror Lake, Moccasin Lake and over Glacier Pass❤️ Hard/Difficult 3,539 +/- foot gain 🥾Wallowa Lake Trailhead Just out of Joseph, Oregon (a must visit small town) grab a bite after or before your adventure or better yet stay a few days in town…you won’t regret it! West Fork Trail Follows the West Fork of the Wallowa River past Frazier Lake 28 miles RT Moderate/Hard 3,600 +/- foot gain As always Leave no Trace! Follow the rules of the Wilderness and make sure you do not camp within 100’ of the water!! Keep it beautiful and clean for generations who follow…be an example of what to do💫 Happy Trails! Karmen Things to do in Oregon * Oregon outdoors * hiking Oregon * wilderness backpacking trips Oregon * nature * eastern Oregon outdoors * explore * see the world * Joseph Oregon * alpine lakes #oregon #pnw #hike #travel #oregonexplored #traveloregon #hiking #explore #nature #getoutdoors #eaglecapwilderness #wallowas #wallowamountains #mountains #alpinelakeswilderness #lakes #alpinelakes #backpack

✨Wishing to be the “cool kids” pedaling the rails! Who doesn’t like a family activity that makes all feel like kids? Everyone here had a great time in this fun adventure. @josephbranchrailriders are located in Joseph, Oregon and offer multiple levels of adventure in their pedal cars with beautiful views of the Wallowa valley. We did the Mountain Edge Adventure and here are the details of the trip: 🏔 Joseph to Valley Center round trip 🛤 6 mile pedal ⏱ Approx 1 h ⬇️ Difficulty Level: Low - Mild 👌🏻All cars on this trip have an individual electric assist system allowing guests of nearly all fitness levels to enjoy this tour. 💵 $55 2-Seat Tandem Car - $110  4-Seat Quad Car 📝Save this tip for your next visit to the Wallowa Mountains! Follow @kerws.onthego for more family adventures! ______________________________________________Kerws.onthego is a family of 4 that loves to explore the PNW and share beautiful places to inspire your family to travel! We want to show its possible to have an adventurous life even if all you have are the weekends and occasional vacation! Follow along for our Family Adventures 👉🏻 @kerws.onthego ______________________________________ #josephoregon #easternoregon #wallowas #wallowamountains #traveloregon #oregonkids #oregonroadtrip #travelfamily #visitoregon #travelwithkidstips #gosomewhere #adventuretogether #showthemtheworld #travellingfamily #exploringfamilies #familytravelblogger

Did you know that Hot Lake Springs is one of the largest and hottest springs in the Northwest?🔥🥵and it’s definitely one of the BEST! SAVE for your Spring/Summer adventure bucketlist SHARE with who you are taking here❤️ A historic gem beautifully surrounded by geothermal mineral waters, the Wallowa and Blue Mountains, the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, and the Grand Ronde Valley…this area is breathtaking! Hike, fish, explore the towns of La Grande and Joseph, drive the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway😍 Historic note-1st a site of Indian healing waters…then the 1st structures built in 1864…..in 1884 the Union Pacific Railroad commenced its construction, running near Hot Lake. By 1924 this place was the tourist place to be! The colonial style hotel and healing pools brought countless new visitors daily from all over the world… In 2003 the property began major restoration and in 2020 the new owners took over and honestly it is AMAZING to see in person🥰 I love these historic gems..there is just something so cool about standing in a place with stories to tell❤️👌🏻 There are currently 5 soaking pools placed along Hot Lake. The round pools are kept between 104F to 106F. The historic brick pool and rock pool are kept between 100F to 102F. Day use passes available to soak til 8pm. Swimsuits required. 📍The Lodge at Hot Lake Springs Clean, comfortable, beautifully appointed Private soaking tubs in each room Continental breakfast 24 hr pool access…perfect star gazing❤️ Highly recommend room 203 (soak in tub looking out at the Wallowa’s) 60 seat movie theater On site restaurant Great food and local craft beers/ciders😋 (you can drink while soaking in the hot pools) FOLLOW @fitness4life4me as I continue the quest to see all Oregon’s Hot Springs #hotsprings #hotspring #oregon #oregonhotsprings #exploreoregon #travel #traveloregon #easternoregon #lagrande #roadtrip #explore #exploreoregon #pnw #pnwonderland #restday #peace #getoutdoors #naturalhotsprings #healingwaters #stay #wallowas #nature #naturelovers #relax #bucketlist #oregonadventures #adventure

Wallowa County is filled with rural charm, and fall’s beauty can be appreciated around every corner. 🎥 @maddiewilson1133 and @heyjpipe #cozyseason #wallowas #exploregon #fallfoliage

Yes..!! Wallowa is called as “Little Switzerland” in Oregon & the name totally justifies 💙 ▶️ Take a 15 minutes scenic tramway to the summit of Mt. Howard while enjoying breathtaking scenery of Wallowa Mountain ▶️ Explore the summit as it offers stunning panoramic views, plenty of photo opportunities and beautiful hiking trails ▶️ Viewpoints to hike - Valley Overlook, Highlands Overlook, Summit Overlook, Royal Purple Overlook, Snake River country & view of seven devils ▶️ Have lunch at the Summit Grill restaurant or bring your picnic as the views from summit are splendid ▶️ Keep an eye for wildlife such as deer, marmots and various bird species ▶️ Return down to base via tramway 🏨 where to stay - Joseph & Enterprise are the two closest towns to Wallowa Lake ‼️Remember to check the tramway’s operating hours and weather conditions before your visit, as these factors can affect your plans. Also, make sure to bring appropriate clothing, water, snacks, and any necessary gear for hiking. Enjoy your trip to Mt. Howard and the beautiful Wallowa Mountains! #oregon #oregontravel #traveloregon #wallowas #wallowamountains #mthoward #wallowatramway

The Little Alps… in Oregon?!🏔 The beauty of the Wallowa Mountains in Eastern Oregon absolutely blew our minds! 🤯 These steep alpine hikes are no joke! But if Gwyn’s smiles are any indication of a good time, these hikes absolutely worth the sore legs and tired feet! 10/10 would trek thousands of feet uphill again! 🥾 What are some hidden gems you’ve visited? ✨👇🏼 #traveloregon #hikeoregon #bestoforegon #josephoregon #easternoregon #oregon #traveloregon #pacificnorthwest #wallowa #wallowacounty #wallowas #wallowamountains #hikeoregon #womenwhohike #hikingbabes #publiclands #bestoforegon #pnwhiking #eaglecapwilderness #optoutside

A panorama from the top of the Wallowas in northeastern Oregon, a range underappreciated and brimming with botanical endemism. This peak, the high point of the range, is an island of limestone and marble in the 10,000 feet in the sky, the remnants of a shallow sea in the Triassic Period approximately 200 million years ago. Alternating bands of limestone and sandstone (representing the Martin Bridge Formation) lay undisturbed until the early Cretaceous (130 mya), in which the Wallowa batholith (a massive blob of magma rising up from the mantle) intruded into these sedimentary rocks and generated thousands of feet of uplift. Now sitting on top of a massive and buoyant mass of granite, this limestone (partially cooked into marble by the heat of the magma) now sits high above the surrounding landscape, eroded by Quaternary glaciation into the dramatic u-shaped valleys of the Wallowa Mountains. Heat from this magmatic intrusion has dramatically deformed and recrystallized the limestone of the Martin Bridge Formation, resulting in chaotic folding of layers (check out the vertical layering to the left of the crest) in the rock and a resistance to chemical weathering. It is this that is likely responsible for the dramatic, steel-gray mass of smooth rock that composes the ridge from Sacajawea Peak to Matterhorn Peak, eroding in a manner I don’t often see in limestone ridgelines. I also have a feeling this unique rock may be responsible as a driver of endemism in the Wallowas, with species like Eriogonum scopulorum and Castilleja rubida (both of which I’ll make later posts about) calling it home. #wallowamountains #oregon #geology #sacajaweapeak #oregongeology #hiking #mountains #botany #wallowas #limestone #rocks

Have you visited the 7 Wonders of Oregon? Hubs and I checked the last two off our list during a 10-day PNW camping/road trip last summer and I think we saved the best for last. 🤩 Honestly, we love all of them but the Wallowas were 🤩 I could write an entire post on each one, but here’s a quick overview for ya: 1) Crater Lake National Park: Formed after an eruption caused the collapse of Mount Mazama, Crater Lake is fed solely from rain and snow and is the deepest lake in the U.S. at around 1943 feet. And, yes, the water really IS that blue. 😉 2) Smith Rock State Park: Located in Central Oregon, this VERY popular park is chock full of climbing routes and trails for hiking and mountain biking. 3) Mount Hood: The highest peak in Oregon (11,240 ft in elevation), Mt. Hood is a stratovolcano located about 1.5 hrs from Portland. The surrounding area includes winter (skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc) and summer activities (hiking, camping, mountain biking, backpacking, swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking, etc). 4) Columbia River Gorge: Up to 4000 feet deep in spots, this Gorge-ous 😜 area is filled with stunning cliffs, waterfalls, and mountain views. 5) Oregon Coast: All 363 miles of the Oregon Coast is open and free to the public. Whether you prefer hiking, clam digging, surfing, or whale watching, you’ll find it here. 🌊 🐋 6) Painted Hills: Part of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the Painted Hills Unit (one of three units) is a unique geologic site that gets its name from colorful layers of soil in reds, yellows, golds, and blacks. 7) The Wallowas: Sometimes referred to as the “Swiss Alps of Oregon”, it’s easy to see why! These stunning alpine peaks soar above Wallowa Lake, surrounding farmland, and the charming town of Joseph. 🤩 If you’ve visited all 7, what’s your favorite? If not, where would you go first?? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Stoke Fam is a PNW family that loves travel and outdoor adventures. Learn more and follow along here 👉👉 @thestokefam for tips, inspiration, and destinations to help you plan your own epic adventures! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #7wondersoforegon #oregonadventures

Tag someone you would like to go on a lake with! There are moments when you would want to freeze time and never want it to end.. For me mountains, this moody weather and the lake did it for me.. When I was kayaking with my husband who obviously doesn’t like to be captured, this was a moment so peaceful and so serene that I wanted the time to freeze right there.. So background story, over this long weekend me and my husband drove to the Wallowas, Oregon. Well weather wasn’t supposed to be bad but you know it’s Oregon, by the time we reached it was around 4pm and it started to drizzle and get cold. Our whole point of driving to the Wallowas was to spend quality time at the lake and since we got this new inflatable kayak we were super pumped. Now me being me, even though it started to drizzle and get cold, I didn’t want to waste my time.. For me what better time to get on the water on a moody day like this when I could see the cloud covered dreamy mountains. So after pestering my husband to get in the water for sometime, he agreed as well and then we got in the water!! And I can’t tell you these spur of the moment decisions are the best.. We had such a great time, almost had the lake to ourselves except 1 or 2 boats.. We kayaked for one two hours until it started to get dark then we came out of the water and slowly watched the lake and mountains get covered in darkness of the peaceful night.. It was a beautiful moment.. #lake #oregon #wallowas #wallowalake #kayaking #kayakadventures #cloudscapes #moody #moodytoning #moodygrams #onelifetolive #onelifeliveit #beautifulmoment #pnwlife #pnwescapes #oregonian #travel #travelgoals #jannatlovers #browngirltravels #travelstories #peaceful #outdoorlife #neverstoptravelling

The Wallowa Mountains - AKA the “Swiss Alps of Oregon” . . . #hiking #swissalpsoforegon #wallowas #easternoregon #oregon #camping #fallhiking

Join me on a once in a lifetime journey to the @minamriverlodge 😍🌿🌱🌅 #easternoregon #pnw #oregon #horsetrips #horses #exploregon #minam #minamlodge #hiking #betweentheears #wallowas #eaglecapwilderness #wild #minamriver #oldwest #pendleton

Sometimes it’s okay to want to skip to the good part 😉 . . . #backpacking #fall #goldenhour #womenwhohike #sunset #optoutside #wallowamountains #wallowas #oregon #pnw #womensupportingwomen #nature #hiking #empoweringwomen #womenempowerment