Easy (to lookout)
2 miles round trip
550 feet elevation gain
Open late July through October
Use: hikers, horses
Difficult (to Pine Lakes pass)
11.8 miles round trip
2120 feet elevation gain
Difficult (to Pine Lakes)
16.2 miles round trip
2950 feet elevation gain
You’ll see timberline meadows and wide-ranging views even at the start of this hike, because the trailhead is one of the highest in the Wallowa Mountains. For a quick trip, climb an ancient roadbed to the Summit Point fire lookout tower. For a more substantial day hike, traverse the length of Little Eagle Meadows to a spectacular, high pass overlooking the Pine Lakes. Backpackers can continue onward to the lakes themselves, although that goal is slightly easier to reach via . . .
From Baker City, drive . . .
This scenic, unnamed pass makes a good lunch stop—and a wise turnaround point for day hikers. Backpackers can continue on down 2.2 miles to the Pine Lakes, confident that the climb back up to this pass can be left for another day.
This chapter is an excerpt from 100 Hikes: Eastern Oregon