The long, fault-block mountain that Captain John Fremont dubbed Winter Ridge is known by the locals as Winter Rim, perhaps because the rimrock exposed in its dramatic, 3000-foot-tall eastern cliff really does resemble the rim of a giant, broken bowl. Tracing this monumental crest is the Fremont Trail, a 147-mile route that traverses the entire Fremont National Forest. Much of the Fremont Trail is best toured on horseback, but day hikers and mountain bikers do well on the scenic section along the rim north of Government Harvey Pass.

Wildflowers bloom amidst the sagebrush and ponderosa pines here throughout June. Of course, June is also when mosquitoes swarm across the Fremont National Forest. Fortunately, a reliable ridgecrest breeze helps keep the bugs at bay. Expect to meet grazing cattle along the route in August and September.

Drive Highway 97 . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon