Photo: Travel Baker County

Northern Elkhorn Mountains

In the Northern Elkhorns Mountains, you’ll find a little bit of everything to suit your outdoor tastes.

The crown jewel of the northern elkhorn mountains are the trails in and around Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort. Over 8 miles of single track trails follow the Nordic ski corridors and offer a little of everything; from 1000 ft. climbs to the top of the mountain, to rugged, rocky descents. With multiple high lakes and beautiful granite peaks, the northern elkhorn mountains are scenic and fun!

The closest towns to the northern elkhorn mountain trails are North Powder and Haines. The nearest hospital and medical services are 1-2 hours away, in Baker City or La Grande.

Anthony Lakes operates in partnership with the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest under a special use permit, and is an equal opportunity provider.

  • Elkhorn Crest Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Elkhorn Crest Trailhead

    The Elkhorn Crest Trailhead is located is 1/4 mile before Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort, off Anthony Lakes Highway in North Powder, OR.

    The Elkhorn Crest Trail #1611

    Trail Description

    The Elkhorn Crest Trail is the highest trail in the Blue Mountains and runs along the Elkhorn Mountain ridgeline across sub-alpine forests and grasslands. From the northern to southern terminus it runs for 28 miles and offers panoramic views of the Baker Valley, the distant Wallowa Mountains and the Blue Mountains. Along the way you can also view six high mountain lakes, craggy nearby peaks and maybe catch a glimpse of a herd of elk or resident mountain goats.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, Horse Riding. Mountain Biking and OHV Riding are allowed up to the wilderness boundary (2 miles from northern terminus and 14 miles from southern terminus).

    Map

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    The Elkhorn Crest Trail #1611

    • Was able to run the elkhorn to crawfish basin loop this morning. Only a little snow near the top and a couple of trees down but otherwise fantastic!!

    Black Lake Trail #1600 and #1600a

    Trail Description

    The Black Lake Trail (#1600 and #1600A) begins at the parking area near the Anthony Lake Boat Launch and ends at Black Lake. The trail travels through subalpine forests and near wet meadows and small lakes. There are beautiful views of Gunsight Peak and other craggy peaks along the trail.

    Current Conditions

    Clear of snow

    Trip Types

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Map

    Hoffer Lakes Trail #1641

    Trail Description

    Hoffer Lake Trail provides a short day hike from the Anthony Lakes area. The trail rises through a lodgepole pine and subalpine fir forest for a steep mile before arriving at Hoffer Lakes.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Mountain Biking, Hiking

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Hoffer Lakes Trail #1641

    • Hiked the trail on July 3rd, 2021. The Trailhead Stewardship Project had recently removed downed trees and the trail was clear of snow and passable.

    Dutch Flat Trail #1618

    Trail Description

    Between Van Patten Butte and Twin Mountain, Dutch Flat Trail follows the creek gradually ascending through a forest of spruce, larch, ponderosa and lodgepole pine to Dutch Flat Meadow. The long meadow offers secluded campsites along the edges. From here the trail climbs steadily to Dutch Flat lake. The trail continues with switchbacks across a rocky slope passing small subalpine meadows to reach the Elkhorn Crest Trail #1611 at Dutch Flat Saddle.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Mountain Biking, Hiking

    Two Dragon Trail #1850

    Trail Description

    Mountain bike enthusiasts can enjoy both the newly developed trails around Anthony Lake and trail 1850, otherwise alluded to as Two Dragon. The Two Dragon Loop, named after an 1870’s Chinese mining camp in the Carson Historic Mining district, is just short of six miles of high mountain foliage extravaganza. When angling to enjoy Two Dragon, park at Grande Ronde Lake or the winter motorized recreation parking lot just prior to where Ladd Canyon Road intersects Anthony Lakes Highway 73. Warm up your muscles by cycling .7 of a mile on Anthony Lakes Highway 73 gaining 123 feet of elevation to the west. Exit the highway upon encountering a huge white granite boulder adjacent to a brown carbonite sign that reads Trail 1850.

    The two-mile single-track plunge rips through high alpine forest. White granite slabs, bearberries and subalpine fir punctuate the freshly re-established trail. After a delightful descent, leave the single track onto a double track marked as non-motorized road 43. Follow the arrow to the east for two miles taking in the fungi, lodgepole pine and pretty flowers. The 570 feet of elevation gain is gradual and the double track optimal for chatting. (Trail description from Ride with GPS)

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Mountain Biking, Hiking

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Two Dragon Trail #1850

    • Hiked this loop on 7/11/21. The trail is clear and passable.

  • Crawfish Basin Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Crawfish Basin Trailhead

    1. From Baker City, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 30 to Haines
    2. In Haines turn left and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs (turns into Forest Road 73) for 25 miles to the Anthony Lake Recreation Area.
    3. Continue on Forest Road 73 past Anthony Lake Ski Area for 3.8 miles to Forest Road 210 and turn left. (Forest Road 210 is across from Forest Road 5185)
    4. On Forest Road 210 travel about 2 miles to the top of the ridge overlooking the ski area.
    5. Turn right along the ridge and follow road to the road junction.
    6. Take the right at the road junction to the trailhead.

    Note: the FS 210 road is steep and narrow. It is not suitable for passenger car vehicles, trailers or RVs.

    Crawfish Basin Trail #1612

    Trail Description

    The Crawfish Basin Trail #1612 crosses the northeast portion of the North Fork John Day Wilderness and displays impressive views of Lakes Lookout, Lees Peak and Angel Peak. The trail also provides an excellent view of the ridges and draws extending to the southwest. At Dutch Flat Saddle the trail joins the scenic Elkhorn Crest Trail #1611. This is a great hike in the northern elkhorn mountains.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking

    Map

  • Upper Crawfish Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Upper Crawfish Trailhead

    1. From Baker City, OR head north on Highway 30 toward Haines approximately 10 miles.
    2. In Haines turn left and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs (turns into Forest Road 73) for 25 miles to the Anthony Lake Recreation Area.
    3. Continue past the Anthony Lakes Recreation Area for about 4.5 miles and turn left on Forest Road 216.
    4. On Forest Road 216 go about 0.2 miles to the trailhead.

    Crawfish Trail #1606

    Trail Description

    Crawfish Lake Trail offers a short and moderately steep access to the northwest side of the Elkhorns Mountains and North Fork John Day Wilderness. The trail starts by descending down an old dirt road (closed to motorized use) for about the first half-mile. It then slopes and contours around the hillside with great views of Crawfish Basin and Elkhorn Mountains. The last half-mile climbs through thick stands of young fir, spruce and lodgepole pine and crosses Crawfish Creek along the northwest edge of the North Fork John Day Wilderness to the lake.

    Crawfish Lake is situated at the base of the jagged northern peaks of the Elkhorn Mountains. Trail 1606 continues around the lake and descends gradually through the forest. After descending for a half-mile it then ascends steeply for a half-mile through a ghostly stand of trees burned in a 1986 fire and ends at the Crawfish Creek Trailhead.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, Horse Riding

    Map

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Crawfish Trail #1606

    • Started from Upper Crawfish Trailhead on July 2nd, 2021. The trail to the lake is in great shape, it is completely clear of snow and winter debris.

  • Crawfish Creek Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Crawfish Creek Trailhead

    1. From Baker City, OR, head north on Highway 30 toward Haines approximately 10 miles.
    2. In Haines turn left and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs (turns into Forest Road 73) for 25 miles to the Anthony Lake Recreation Area.
    3. Continue past the Anthony Lakes Recreation Area for about 9.5 miles and turn left into the trailhead parking area.

    Crawfish Trail #1606

    Trail Description

    Crawfish Lake Trail offers a short and moderately steep access to the northwest side of the Elkhorns Mountains and North Fork John Day Wilderness. The trail starts by descending down an old dirt road (closed to motorized use) for about the first half-mile. It then slopes and contours around the hillside with great views of Crawfish Basin and Elkhorn Mountains. The last half-mile climbs through thick stands of young fir, spruce and lodgepole pine and crosses Crawfish Creek along the northwest edge of the North Fork John Day Wilderness to the lake.

    Crawfish Lake is situated at the base of the jagged northern peaks of the Elkhorn Mountains. Trail 1606 continues around the lake and descends gradually through the forest. After descending for a half-mile it then ascends steeply for a half-mile through a ghostly stand of trees burned in a 1986 fire and ends at the Crawfish Creek Trailhead.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, Horse Riding

    Map

  • Baldy Creek Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Baldy Creek Trailhead

    1. From Baker City, Oregon, take U.S. Highway 30 about 10 miles to Haines.
    2. In Haines turn left (west) and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs; this road is also known as the Elkhorn Scenic Byway and follow the signs to Anthony Lakes (about 25 miles).
    3. Continue past the ski area on this highway (also known as Forest Road 73) approximately 12 more miles to the trailhead.
    4. The trailhead is about 46 miles from Baker City, Oregon.

    Baldy Creek Trail #1603 (wilderness)

    Trail Description

    Baldy Creek Trail # 1603 lies almost entirely within the North Fork John Day Wilderness, providing access to the remote Baldy Creek drainage country, Baldy Lake, and the open ridges above the Cable Cove area. The trail follows and crosses Baldy Creek many times. It passes spruce, fir, and lodgepole pine forest; grassy openings: and some boggy areas. Baldy Lake sits in a serene subalpine basin under Mt. Ireland. The fire lookout on top of the peak can be seen from the lake’s north shore. One-quarter mile before Baldy Lake, a trail forks off across the head of the east fork of Baldy Creek up to the end of Forest Road 5540-920 just below Crown Point. For a sweeping view of the historic Cable Cove mining area, take a short walk up the old road which has no public vehicle access.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, Horse Riding

    Map

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Baldy Creek Trail #1603 (wilderness)

    • We only hiked 1.25 miles of the trail, but there were approx. 10 downed logs. One fell recently and was blocking the entire trail. We broke the branches off, so the trail is now visible on the other side, but additional work is needed. Other than the logs, the trail appeared to be in good shape. I didn’t grab any photos of the fallen logs, but I’m attaching a few photos of the trail and bridges. This is a fun, kid-friendly trail!

    • Hi guys!
      Wow, so proud of the TSP work you all accomplished this summer-way to go!
      I just wanted to suggest the Baldy Lake trail needing tree removal—-really bad! We went in from the upper trail (as opposed to the Creek Trail) but most of the downed trees are above the trail merge.
      For backpackers with kids and a dog, we found ourselves climbing around, under, over etc.
      please consider cleaning this trail up.
      Thanks for all you are doing for our community and forest!

    • The TSP cut out the Baldy Lake Trail on October 2nd, 2021. They removed downed trees from the upper trailhead all the way to the lake. Cutting out the Creek Trail is high on our priority list and we’ll post here when that has been cut out. Thanks for the trail reports!

    • July 15th 2022 – The Trailhead Stewardship project is currently working on Baldy Creek Trail. They have cut out down logs on ~2 miles of the trail. They will continue working on clearing out the rest of the trail (there are several large blowdown areas and many down trees) over the next several weeks.

    • The Trailhead Stewardship Project Crew has finished cutting out the Baldy Creek Trail and removed about 50 down trees.

  • Peavy Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Peavy Trailhead

    1. From Baker City head north on Highway 30 toward Haines approximately 10 miles;
    2. In Haines turn left and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs (turns into Forest Road 73) for 25 miles to the Anthony Lake Recreation Area;
    3. Travel past the Anthony Lakes Ski Area and go about 11.5 miles more on Forest Road 73 to Forest Road 380;
    4. Turn left on Forest Road 380 and go about 3 miles to the end of the road (you will pass Peavy Cabin on your right side) to the trailhead.

    Cunningham Cove Trail #1643 (wilderness)

    Trail Description

    The Cunningham Cove Trail #1643 crosses the northeast section of the North Fork John Day Wilderness providing access to the Elkhorn Crest Trail from the North Fork John Day River area. Although most of the trail is very steep and rough, it passes through several leveled clearings and meadows with secluded campsites and broad views of the rolling North Fork John Day country. Most of the length of the trail burned in the Sloan’s Ridge Fire in 1996.

    The trail crosses Cunningham Creek several times and contours around a spring to join the Elkhorn Crest Trail (#1611) at Cunningham Saddle. From this point, a view into Crawfish Meadow and out towards Lees and Angell Peaks and Van Patten Butte unfolds.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, HorseBack Riding

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Cunningham Cove Trail #1643 (wilderness)

    • Hiked the Cunningham Cove Trail to its junction with the ECT on July 4th, 2021. The Trailhead Stewardship Project is currently working on removing downed trees from the last 1.3 miles of the trail.

      The trail is difficult to find in spots, look for orange ribbon on the trees to stay on the correct trail.

      The attached image is the view when you reach the top of the trail, looking at the backside of Lake’s Lookout, Lee’s Peak, and Angel Peak.

    Peavy Trail #1640

    Trail Description

    Peavy Trail #1640 follows the North Fork John Day River drainage from the Peavy Cabin area to Columbia Hill, above the headwaters. The trail lies within the North Fork John Day Wilderness following an old roadbed through small grassy openings and burned stands of lodgepole pine and spruce that perished in the 1996 Sloan’s Ridge fire. After two miles, the trail climbs steeply crossing numerous small streams along the way. Just before the top, the trail contours along an open sagebrush hillside above a large meadow where campsites are available.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, HorseBack Riding

    View Conditions

    Reported Trail Conditions

    Peavy Trail #1640

    • Hiked this trail on July 11th, 2021. The trail is passable, with a few downed tress. The Trailhead Stewardship Project is currently working on this trail.

      The photo shows the views when you reach the end of the trail, at its junction with the Elkhorn Crest Trail.

    • Hiked from Peavy Cabin to Cracker Saddle on Aug 11, 2023. There were a few downed trees. Trail becomes somewhat cross country in the middle to near the top, but cairns have been placed and it isn’t very hard to follow.

  • Dutch Flat Trailhead Click to learn more about trailhead amenities, trails, and current conditions.

    Trailhead Amenities

    Vault Toilet
    Cell Service
    Water
    Garbage Service

    Driving Directions

    Directions to Dutch Flat Trailhead

    1. From Baker City, OR head north on Highway 30 toward Haines approximately 10 miles;
    2. In Haines turn left and follow the Anthony Lake Highway signs (road turns into Forest Road 73 at forest boundary) for about 15.5 miles to the Forest Road 7307;
    3.Turn left on Forest Road 7307 and go about 1.5 miles to end of road where trailhead is located.

    Dutch Flat Trail #1607

    Trail Description

    Between Van Patten Butte and Twin Mountain, Dutch Flat Trail follows the creek gradually ascending through a forest of spruce, larch, ponderosa and lodgepole pine to Dutch Flat Meadow. The long meadow offers secluded campsites along the edges. From here the trail climbs steadily to Dutch Flat lake. The trail continues and switchbacks across a rocky slope passing small subalpine meadows to reach the Elkhorn Crest Trail #1611 at Dutch Flat Saddle. Looking over the sheer east edge of the mountain crest Dutch Flat Lake can be seen on the basin below.

    Current Conditions

    This trail is generally clear of snow from early July to late September. Expect winter debris (down trees, etc.) in the early season. Trail may not be maintained on a regular basis – obstacles on the trail may be present year-round.

    Trip Types

    Hiking, Backpacking, Horseback Riding

While you're recreating in this region, please consider fueling up and winding down at our local food and drink establishments. This will not just enhance your vacation, but contribute directly to the great community that is taking care of these trails.

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