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The Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway
This scenic byway forms a loop that circles through the Elkhorn Mountains and the Whitman National Forest to the west of Baker City, which makes one of a number of starting points for the tour. The historic town of Sumpter is another convenient starting point. Ermey-Davis Road which leads to North Powder River Road and Interstate 84 at Exit 285 at North Powder is a third option. The fourth entry point is via Forest Service Road 52 and the Blue Mountain Scenic Byway. The Oregon Department of Transportation has an introduction to the byway along with a useful map on its Tripcheck site. The byway has a variety of scenery to offer as well as a number of points of historic interest. The Visitor's Guide published by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has information about wildlife in the Elkhorn Mountains.
Click here for a map (in .pdf format) of northwestern Baker County that includes this byway.
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There are two highway logs on
this web site that will help you plan a tour of this byway.
The log in this section begins at Baker City and is organized for counter-clockwise travel along the byway. By scrolling down you will travel north on US30 / The La Grande-Baker Highway to Haines, a small but very interesting community. The byway then continues toward the Anthony Lakes area (in photo to the left) before turning south to the former mining towns of Granite and Sumpter. The byway continues to its junction with OR7 / The Whitney Highway south of the town of Sumpter. The section of the OR7 highway log between the |
| Sumpter junction and Baker City completes the byway. OR7 is also part of the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway. Go to the Sumpter Highway junction to travel east (scroll down) to Baker City, or go to Baker City to travel west (scroll up) to the Sumpter Highway. | |
See the links to the left in the navigation bar or at the bottom of this page to choose directions of travel (counter-clockwise or clockwise) and starting points.
Travelers should allow a minimum of four hours to cover the section of the byway NW-bound from Haines and southbound to Sumpter because of the winding nature of the road through the mountains and the number of historic, scenic and geological attractions along the way. Hiking trails, signs and interpretive sites help visitors discover and appreciate many of the special places in this area.
There are many recreational opportunities available at points along this byway, including camping, picnicking and a variety of water sports. In winter the area around Anthony Lakes is very popular with skiers. The byway between Anthony Lakes and Granite is not cleared by snowplows in winter.
The Elkhorn Drive National Forest Scenic Byway passes through the Wallowa- Whitman National Forest which maintains most of the camping and recreational facilities.
Choose your section and starting point below. Select links in italics (and scroll up) to travel clockwise; e.g., from Haines to Baker City.