Minam River Via Moss Springs

  • Difficult
  • 15.2 miles round trip
  • 2300 feet elevation gain
  • Open mid-June through October
  • Use: hikers, horses


Popular with equestrians, the trails radiating from Moss Springs Campground seem long and dusty to hikers. The top goal is Reds Horse Ranch, a closed old lodge by a vast meadow with the only bridge across the Minam River for miles.

Make a special note of Eagle Cap Wilderness rules: Maximum group size on the trail is 12 people and/or 18 head of stock. Horses may not be hitched or tethered to trees at campsites, or within 100 feet of any stream. Any extra horse feed brought along must be certified to be free of weed seeds that might introduce alien plants.

From La Grande, take …

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