Elkhorn Crest
Moderate (to Dutch Flat Lake)
8.6 miles round trip
1910 feet elevation gain
Open July through October
Use: hikers, horses
Difficult (to Lost Lake)
12.8 miles round trip
1860 feet elevation gain
Difficult (to Summit Lake)
20 miles round trip
2600 feet elevation gain
Difficult (to Marble Pass)
22.8 miles one-way
2820 feet elevation gain
One of Oregon’s most beautiful backpacking routes, the 22.8-mile Elkhorn Crest Trail contours from pass to pass along the granite spine of the Elkhorn Range. Views from this timberline path stretch from the Wallowas to the John Day country. The trail itself passes almost no water sources or flat campsites, so plan to detour to Dutch Flat Lake, Lost Lake, Summit Lake, or Twin Lakes along the way.
Start by driving Interstate 84 . . .
This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon