Home  •   Field Guide  •   Forums  •    Unread Posts  •   Maps  •   Find a Hike!
| Page | Discussion | View source | History | Print Friendly and PDF

Difference between revisions of "Wallowa River Rail Hike"

From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
(Edits)
Line 28: Line 28:
  
 
=== Hike Description ===
 
=== Hike Description ===
−
The 10-mile section of the Wallowa River from its confluence with the Minam River to the confluence with the Grande Ronde was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1996. The same stretch of river is one of Oregon’s 22 Scenic Waterways. The river flows through a secluded canyon, bordered on its east bank by the Wallowa Union Railroad, originally a Union Pacific line, but now reduced in this section to hosting summer excursion rides. Since the 1908 railroad no longer sustains freight use, this stretch of tracks is open to the foot-traveling public, and the land on either side of the railroad is almost all Oregon State Parks and Bureau of Land Management property. Once beyond the Minam State Recreation Area’s campground on the opposite bank, there’s a feeling of remoteness and seclusion. The most likely human encounters will be of kayakers on the river and hunters on the fall.  
+
The 10-mile section of the Wallowa River from its confluence with the Minam River to the confluence with the Grande Ronde was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1996. The same stretch of river is one of Oregon’s 22 Scenic Waterways. The river flows through a secluded canyon, bordered on its east bank by the Wallowa Union Railroad, originally a Union Pacific line, but now reduced in this section to hosting summer excursion rides. Since the 1908 railroad no longer sustains freight use, this stretch of tracks is open to the foot-traveling public, and the land on either side of the railroad is almost all Oregon State Parks and Bureau of Land Management property. Once beyond the Minam State Recreation Area’s campground on the opposite bank, there’s a feeling of remoteness and seclusion. The most likely human encounters will be with kayakers on the river and hunters in the fall.  
  
−
Begin walking along the tracks above the store. After you pass a log car, try to find the tamped down foot track in the ballast on the river side of the railroad (this is a lot less tedious than trying to walk on the railroad ties). Cottonwoods shade the river and layers of basalt form ramparts above. Douglas-firs and ponderosa pines form the conifer canopy. Abandoned fences run along both sides of the track, but they have many gaps and have disappeared in places. You may see signs of elk and deer, and cattle are also run in the area. At a break in a fence, you can visit a grassy seep on a rocky bench above the river. A sign to the right on a fence declares the old route of the Smith Mountain Road, a way into the Wallowa Valley serviced by the Smith Toll Bridge across the Wallowa River (whose site is also signed). Smith Mountain, about five miles east, is a tableland of meadows homesteaded by the Victor family, who lived at Minam from 1887 and ran the stage stop there and the toll bridge. After the rail line came up the river in 1908, stage coaches stopped running, and the Victors went back to ranching.
+
Begin walking along the tracks above the store. After you pass a log car, try to find the tamped down foot track in the ballast on the river side of the railroad. (This is a lot less tedious than trying to walk on the railroad ties.) Cottonwoods shade the river and layers of basalt form ramparts above. Douglas-firs and ponderosa pines form the conifer canopy. Abandoned fences run along both sides of the track, but they have many gaps and have disappeared in places. You may see signs of elk and deer, and cattle are also run in the area. At a break in a fence, you can visit a grassy seep on a rocky bench above the river. A sign to the right on a fence declares the old route of the Smith Mountain Road, a way into the Wallowa Valley serviced by the Smith Toll Bridge across the Wallowa River (whose site is also signed). Smith Mountain, about five miles east, is a tableland of meadows homesteaded by the Victor family, who lived at Minam from 1887 and ran the stage stop there and the toll bridge. After the rail line came up the river in 1908, stage coaches stopped running, and the Victors went back to ranching.
  
−
Pass through a cutting, and see across the river the entrance to the Minam State Recreation Area campground. Round a sweeping bend in the river. Across is the forested flat just north of the campground. Look for mergansers on the river; otters also frequent these waters. Cross a creek, and enter the remote section of the canyon. Hike below the large open bowl that sweeps down from Ednas Point above. The river narrows as it plunges between rocky ledges as you hike below a [[Ednas Point Bend|rubbly face]] to confront a straight stretch of track. If you’re out for a short hike, this is a good place to turn back.
+
Pass through a cutting, and see across the river to the entrance of the Minam State Recreation Area campground. Hike around a sweeping bend in the river. Across is the forested flat just north of the campground. Look for mergansers on the river; otters also frequent these waters. Cross a creek, and enter the remote section of the canyon. Hike below the large open bowl that sweeps down from Ednas Point above. The river narrows as it plunges between rocky ledges as you hike below a [[Ednas Point Bend|rubbly face]] to confront a straight stretch of track. If you’re out for a short hike, this is a good place to turn back.
  
  

Revision as of 21:37, 16 July 2019

The open bowl below Ednas Point, Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)
Cous desert-parsley (Lomatium cous), Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)
Ponderosa pine slopes near the old Smith Mountain Road above the Wallowa Union Railroad (bobcat)
The route north along the Wallowa Union Railroad from Minam (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Caltopo/USFS
  • Start point: Wallowa Railroad Minam Trailhead
  • Ending Point: Ednas Point Bend
  • Trail Log:
  • Hike Type: In and out
  • Distance: 5.6 miles
  • Elevation gain: 70 feet
  • High Point: 2,545 feet
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Seasons: Spring through Fall
  • Family Friendly: Yes
  • Backpackable: No
  • Crowded: No

Contents

Hike Description

The 10-mile section of the Wallowa River from its confluence with the Minam River to the confluence with the Grande Ronde was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1996. The same stretch of river is one of Oregon’s 22 Scenic Waterways. The river flows through a secluded canyon, bordered on its east bank by the Wallowa Union Railroad, originally a Union Pacific line, but now reduced in this section to hosting summer excursion rides. Since the 1908 railroad no longer sustains freight use, this stretch of tracks is open to the foot-traveling public, and the land on either side of the railroad is almost all Oregon State Parks and Bureau of Land Management property. Once beyond the Minam State Recreation Area’s campground on the opposite bank, there’s a feeling of remoteness and seclusion. The most likely human encounters will be with kayakers on the river and hunters in the fall.

Begin walking along the tracks above the store. After you pass a log car, try to find the tamped down foot track in the ballast on the river side of the railroad. (This is a lot less tedious than trying to walk on the railroad ties.) Cottonwoods shade the river and layers of basalt form ramparts above. Douglas-firs and ponderosa pines form the conifer canopy. Abandoned fences run along both sides of the track, but they have many gaps and have disappeared in places. You may see signs of elk and deer, and cattle are also run in the area. At a break in a fence, you can visit a grassy seep on a rocky bench above the river. A sign to the right on a fence declares the old route of the Smith Mountain Road, a way into the Wallowa Valley serviced by the Smith Toll Bridge across the Wallowa River (whose site is also signed). Smith Mountain, about five miles east, is a tableland of meadows homesteaded by the Victor family, who lived at Minam from 1887 and ran the stage stop there and the toll bridge. After the rail line came up the river in 1908, stage coaches stopped running, and the Victors went back to ranching.

Pass through a cutting, and see across the river to the entrance of the Minam State Recreation Area campground. Hike around a sweeping bend in the river. Across is the forested flat just north of the campground. Look for mergansers on the river; otters also frequent these waters. Cross a creek, and enter the remote section of the canyon. Hike below the large open bowl that sweeps down from Ednas Point above. The river narrows as it plunges between rocky ledges as you hike below a rubbly face to confront a straight stretch of track. If you’re out for a short hike, this is a good place to turn back.


Fees, Facilities, etc.

  • Picnic area, restrooms, campground at Minam State Recreation Area across the river

Maps

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this destination

  • none

More Links


Page Contributors

Retrieved from "https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Wallowa_River_Rail_Hike&oldid=86024"
Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.