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 is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon