Chimney and Steamboat Lakes

  • Difficult (to Chimney Lake)
  • 10.2 miles round trip
  • 2420 feet elevation gain
  • Open late July through October
  • Use: hikers, horses


  • Difficult (to Steamboat Lake)
  • 29.3-mile loop
  • 5920 feet elevation gain


Here are the Wallowa Mountains at their best: heather-rimmed alpine lakes, granite peaks, and wildflower meadows. But this isn’t the famous, crowded Lake Basin below Eagle Cap’s cliffs. It’s a quieter corner of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. For a strenuous day hike, explore Chimney Lake, in a basin with four other lakes. For a 3-day trip, continue across passes to Steamboat and Swamp Lakes.

Start by dirving to …

On the third day, climb from …

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Eastern Oregon.