With alpine lakes, snowy crags, and waterfalls, the Strawberry Range seems like a chunk of the Canadian Rockies dropped onto the sagebrush plains of Eastern Oregon. For a picture-postcard view of this surprising range, hike 1.3 miles to Strawberry Lake, a mountain pool backed by a palisade of cliffs. For an even better view, continue past Strawberry Falls to Little Strawberry Lake. And for the best view of all, take a well-graded trail all the way to the panoramic summit of 9038-foot Strawberry Mountain.

Start by driving . . .

From this lofty perch, the creekside forests at the foot of the Strawberry Range look like great green snakes crawling out into the brown desert. To the north, look for the gridiron of Prairie City. To the west, the Strawberry Range humps off toward the crags of Canyon Mountain. To the southeast, above Rabbit Ears’ spires, shimmers the distant white stripe of Steens Mountain.

Other Options

Slide Lake is another . . .

This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon