Discover 5 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Wallowa–Whitman National Forest (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Mount Howard, Kirkland Lookout Ground House, and Wallowa Lake Tramway. Also, be sure to include Snake–Columbia shrub steppe in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Wallowa–Whitman National Forest (Oregon).
Table of Contents
Mount Howard
Mountain in Oregon. Mount Howard is located in the Wallowa region of northeast Oregon. The mountain is home to Wallowa Lake Tramway, the steepest tram in North America. At the top of the mountain, there is a restaurant called the Summit Grill and Alpine Patio. Mount Howard was named for Civil War general Oliver O. Howard.
The 1,084-acre (4.39 km2) Mount Howard-East Peak area was designated as a National Natural Landmark in June 2016, in recognition of its botanically diverse montane grassland habitats and populations of endemic and rare plant species.[1]
Kirkland Lookout Ground House
The Kirkland Lookout Ground House, located east of Joseph Creek in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest near Joseph, Oregon, United States, was built in 1936. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.[2]
Wallowa Lake Tramway
Light rail station in Wallowa County, Oregon. The Wallowa Lake Tramway is an aerial cable gondola lift near Joseph, Oregon, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest of the United States, named for Wallowa Lake. The tram runs from the floor of the Wallowa Valley to the top of Mount Howard. It travels to an elevation of 8,000 feet above sea level and allows for views of the Eagle Cap Wilderness area and the rest of the Wallowa Mountains.[3]
Snake–Columbia shrub steppe
The Snake–Columbia shrub steppe is an ecoregion defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature. This ecoregion receives little precipitation because it is within the rain shadow of the Cascade Range. It takes in a western portion of the Columbia Basin in Washington, and extends south along the Deschutes River Basin, expanding to cover most of southeast Oregon including the Oregon Lakes region. This ecoregion reaches south from Oregon into northern Nevada and the northeast corner of California. It also connects east onto the Snake River Plain, which it follows east from Hells Canyon to the continental divide in eastern Idaho.
Information about this ecoregion is covered by two articles that follow the ecoregion definitions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency:
- Columbia Plateau (ecoregion)
- Snake River Plain (ecoregion)
Billy Meadows Guard Station
The Billy Meadows Guard Station is a Forest Service Guard Station located in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest near Joseph, Oregon, USA. In addition to the main residence, the station also includes a garage, warehouse, barn, and oil and gas house. The residence has a rustic design; the exterior walls use shiplap to resemble a log cabin, and the gabled front porch is supported by two logs. The original gable roof was wood shingled to fit the rustic theme but has since been replaced with sheet metal. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the guard station during the Great Depression.
The Billy Meadows Guard Station was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 6, 1991.[5]