Oregon is known around the world for its mountains,
but in rural Northeastern Oregon, the Wallowa Mountains feel like something of a Hidden Gem.
Nestled at the base of the mountain range is Joseph, a charming little town that offers
easy access to the surrounding peaks, as well as some can't-miss attractions of its own.
I'm Jamie Hale, The Oregonian's travel writer and host of Peak Northwest. This summer I decided to
spend a few days exploring Joseph, making the long drive east from Portland and pulling into
town with a few hours of daylight to spare. So we just arrived in Joseph after a five and a half
hour drive from Portland, we're staying the night here at the Jennings Hotel, which was first built
in 1910, and since 2015 they've been renovating into a really cool boutique hotel right here in
downtown Joseph with some amazing mountain views. What had previously been known as simply the
"Jennings building" was purchased by its current owners in 2014. They converted it from a rundown
apartment building into what they now describe as "equal parts accommodation and art project." One
of the things I love about this place is this communal area where there's a kitchen where
you can make your own meals, there's a table where you can do whatever you want at a table,
there's a record player, there's books, it's a spot for people to come together
and that's kind of really the part of what the Jennings is all about. So most of these rooms
are pretty minimalist design and they're all also a little bit different from each other,
so this is not for someone who's looking for all the amenities of a hotel, but for someone who just
wants a nice cute place to stay, this is a really nice spot. The day was already starting to wind
down, but we realized we could still squeeze in a quick visit to one of Joseph's main attractions.
So we're gonna drive just a few minutes to the end of town to Wallowa Lake,
which is one of I think the most scenic lakes in Oregon, and the views just driving there are
absolutely incredible. Wallowa Lake may well be one of the most beautiful sights in Oregon,
and I couldn't miss the chance to see it as the sun was going down. So we're here at Wallowa Lake,
just at the foot of the Wallowa Mountains -- Wow -- and this is a really special spot not
just because it's a really beautiful place with these mountain views overlooking the lake, because
it's also really geologically interesting I think. The lake was created by a glacier that was moving
down off the mountains and as it did it pushed up the land out of its way and then when the glacier
melted it made this lake. Standing beside the beautiful lake at dusk with the mountain peaks
rising above, I began to relax after a long day on the road. It really is just such a magical spot.
Soaking in the beauty of this place filled me with anticipation for what the days ahead
would bring. So we're gonna head back into town go back to the hotel and get some good
sleep after this long day to get up here but more adventures to come tomorrow.
Joseph has plenty of options for traditional breakfast spots,
but sometimes I like to go for something a little less conventional to kick my day into
gear. So we're here at Arrowhead Chocolates in downtown Joseph,
it's one of the best little chocolate shops in this part of the state, I've been here before
and I already have a few favorites I'm super excited to try those and some new flavors.
All right let's check out what we got. I ordered a handful of flavors to try,
but was most excited about one in particular. This one's got the chocolate's almost like in
the shape of an H so I'm wondering if that's the huckleberry and that's like a really subtle way
to tell us what flavor? We'll see. Mmm, mm-hmm, huckleberry. Well that's really good. I feel like
huckleberry's the kind of flavor you get in this region of the country especially,
not really very many other places, and it's so good. The other flavors were great too but
like any good northwesterner, my heart belongs to the huckleberry. Something about that nice
fruity sweetness inside that good chocolate truffle, you can't beat it, just can't.
So we're here on the southern end of Wallowa Lake just outside of Joseph
where we have a lot of resorts, campgrounds, and one of the best attractions in town,
the Wallowa Lake Tramway, which will take you up to some stunning views of the mountains
so we're gonna check it out ourselves. At forty dollars the ride's not exactly cheap,
but it is an experience you just can't get anywhere else. The Tramway was built in 1970 and
at the time it was the steepest vertical lift for a four passenger gondola in all of North America.
It takes you from a height of around four thousand feet above sea level to more than eight thousand
feet at the top of Mount Howard, and there's a lot more to see once you get up there. The tram was
awesome, great views of the lake, great views of the mountains, and here at the top we've got more
good views, plus a restaurant, plus trails, so we are going to go check out a little bit more here
at the top. The first thing you'll notice after exiting the tram is the Summit Grill, which bills
itself as "the northwest's highest restaurant." We popped in for lunch and the food was pretty good,
especially the cobbler I had for dessert. Nothing like a cobbler in the mountains, huh?
Good food, good views, I could stay up here forever. But of course, we couldn't do that.
Trails radiate out from the tram station which meant it was time to do some exploring.
Wow.
Look at this, this is amazing, they call the Wallowas the Swiss Alps of Oregon and
you can see why, I mean it's this beautiful mountain range, you feel like you're just
immersed in it, it's incredible. Before we turned around to head back down the mountain,
I gave myself some time to sit down and take it all in, allowing a sense of awe to wash over me.
That feeling is humbling, and something you can really only find in a place like this,
where big views have a way of making you feel small.
So we're here at the old Chief Joseph gravesite, a site where Chief Joseph the Elder is buried,
his remains were moved here in 1926. He was one of the first people in the Nez Perce tribe to really
stand up to the white colonizers of this area after they shrank down the reservation of his
Nez Perce tribe significantly. His son Chief Joseph the Younger was known for a big stand
against the U.S army ,fleeing from this site in the Wallowas up into Idaho when they were evicted
from their reservation. This is obviously a sacred site and a really special spot with both cultural
and historic significance, and a place where a lot of people like to come and pay their respects.
So we're here at the Wallowa
Lake trailhead one of the most popular places to enter into the Eagle Cap Wilderness. That's the
Wilderness Area that is in the Wallowa mountains here just south of Joseph. A really popular spot
for backpacking, horseback riding and day hiking, which is what we're going to be doing today.
Just diving into the Wallowas, checking out a little bit of the trails, no real plan in mind,
I like this as an area where you can kind of wander aimlessly and just spend a couple hours
enjoying the scenery. You have to fill out a free permit before hitting the trails. That
helps officials know who's in the area just in case they have to go out looking for you.
Once that was taken care of we headed up the West Fork Trail toward Ice Lake.
With no specific agenda in mind, my only concern was absorbing as much beauty and serenity from
the area as I could. We got some Wallowa Mountain peaks peeking over the trees here,
very exciting. We continued along the trail until we came to a narrow log bridge over a roaring
mountain river, swollen with fresh runoff from the fields of snow above. It's just so nice to be out
here you know sitting by this rushing river in the mountains, surrounded by trees and butterflies and
birds. You know it's I think really difficult to be human being sometimes, especially in the city,
in our world, and coming out here and just allowing some of that stuff to just release,
you know, into the river, into the sky, into the trees, it's just a really beautiful and I
think important action to do for ourselves and for each other. And just like that it was time
to start thinking about heading home. We followed the trail back to the car and pointed it in the
direction of the Jennings Hotel. That night we met up with some friends who live in the
area for a fittingly spectacular meal at a great local pizza joint. The bounty that awaited us at
the Gold Room was a fitting metaphor for all we had enjoyed in Joseph and the Wallowa Mountains.
As we feasted on appetizers, cocktails and, of course, pizza, we talked about adventures new
and old, and what we had planned for our next visit to town. Because one thing we all agreed
on was that a few days was not nearly enough the fully experience the beauty of this place.