Maxwell Lake

  • Difficult
  • 7.8 miles round trip
  • 2420 feet elevation gain
  • Open late July through October
  • Use: hikers, horses


Most of the Wallowa Mountains’ beautiful alpine lakes are simply too far for away to visit on a day hike—but not this jewel. Maxwell Lake sits in a glacially carved notch high on the side of the Lostine River canyon, with mountain crags and wildflowers. Just don’t expect this trip to be a stroll. Although the trail starts out gently, it steepens later on. Maximum group size is 12.

From Interstate 84, take …

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