Conveniently located at the gateway to Blue and Wallowa Mountains. On the Grande Ronde river, quiet and picturesque.
Open Year Round - 541-786-1662
From Jct of Hwy 82, 255 Cedar St (in town), E 0.4 mi on Cedar (L). LAT:45.55852, LON: -11.9045
Treat yourself to the relaxing vacation you deserve when you arrange a stay at Justesen Ranch Recreation. Our headquarters are located just south of Grass Valley, Oregon. To learn more about us or to make a reservation, contact us to speak with a member of our team.
A great place to hang your hat while you're in Halfway, Oregon.
An alpine wonderland high in the Elkhorn Range of Eastern Oregon's Blue Mountains
About the Hike: Just as beautiful, but more accessible than the more famous Wallowa Mountains nearby, the Elkhorn Range boasts craggy granite peaks and high alpine lakes surrounded by wildflowers. A paved road climbs to a lovely campground and picnic area beside 7,140-foot-high Anthony Lake. From here hikers can stroll around the lake in half an hour or tackle a more demanding 8.2-mile loop around Gunsight Mountain.
James and Elizabeth Baker were among the first Oregon Trail emigrants to settle in Easter Oregon. They traveled from Iowa in 1862 and were one of the original five families to settle in what is now the City of La Grande.
La Grande was a tree-less grassland when they arrived. James Baker was known as a horticulturist and planted many of the first trees in the community.
Despite being a town of just over 10,000 residents, Baker City feels significantly larger – an if you look into its history, you can understand why.
In 1861, a man named Henry Griffin found gold near the Powder River, suddenly the area was the epicenter of a gold rush. The rush led to the towns of Sumpter, Bourne and Auburn, and within 20 years, Baker City developed into the center of it all.
Between gold and timber, Baker City had hotels, an opera house, a Carnegie Library and grew into the largest city between Salt Lake City and Portland.
This majestic pine is the biggest of its species ever recorded. It was a giant before the Oregon Territory was established, enduring centuries of fire, insects, disease, and human impact. Recently half of its crown was lost to weather, making another Ponderosa taller, but "Big Red" remains the largest in circumference.
Length: 130 miles / 208.0 km
Time to Allow: 3 hours to 3 days
Fees: You must always pay to camp. Fees range.
Driving Directions
This byway picks up at one end of the Elkhorn Scenic Byway. It starts at the North Fork John Day campground junction, 10 miles north of Granite. At this junction, take Forest Road 53 west to start the Blue Mtn. Scenic Byway.
Ride FR 53 northwest for about 65 miles until you hit Heppner.
Ginger Savage, executive director of the Crossroads Carnegie Art Center, knows the minute someone walks up the stairs, whether they are there to enjoy the artwork, or the architecture of her building.
“I can always tell,” she said with her trademark smile. “If they are looking up, you know they are going to start talking about our great old building. If they are looking at the artwork, it’s time to start discussing our great local art community.”
If you are travelling to Eastern Oregon from Portland with kids, by the time you hit downtown Pendleton, you will be ready to play “Guido the pizza maker.”
