Chief Joseph Trail

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 13 miles 

(out and back, you can turn around at any time)

 

If you love raging rivers and amazing waterfalls this hike is a must. There are stunning views around every corner and is such a great trail that we did this hike three times while visiting Wallawa Lake.

 

A short distance after getting onto this trail there is a fork: follow the trail to the right to go onto the Chief Joseph Trail. You will follow this about 1/4 mile up and it is a right or left decision. The trail goes to the left, (there are two left trails, take the one on the right and follow the river) but going to the right is worth the small deviation, with an amazing view of the lake below and a canyon with the river cascading down.

After enjoying the view, head back the way you came and continue down the trail the other way, remembering to take the right fork and following the river. Another 1/4 of the mile down the trail you will come to a bridge crossing the river. A great photo op here ;o)

The trail continues up with a few switch backs for another amazing view of Wallawa lake below.

A short distance down you will come to a great waterfall. When we were here the bridge across the river was washed out, so our hike ended here. It was great for us since we had smaller children with us, but I would have loved to keep going. This trail is actually about 13 miles long, ending up at the top of Chief Joseph Mountain, but it is only passable with the bridge. Hopefully that will be fixed soon, but even so, it's worth the time to do the shorter version. If you have kids with you, it's about as far as you can go anyway before they get too tired.

Directions: From La Grande, Oregon. Head NW on HWY 30 toward Island Ave. Take a right onto Island Ave. At 2 1/2 miles turn left onto N. McAlister Road and travel on this for 18 miles. Turn right onto Albany St/Wallawa LK Hwy for 26.6 miles. Keep right at the fork and continue for another 17.7 miles. Turn right onto N. River St. at the town of Enterprise. Drive another 12 miles or so until you come to the North end of Wallawa lake and the road forks. Follow the left fork and drive to the end of that road - the trail head is at the end of this road on the left hand side.