|
Support Mercy Corps |
The Grande Tour Route
This tour route forms a figure "8" in Union County in northeastern Oregon with La Grande in the top section, Medical Springs at the bottom, and Union at the intersection of both circles.
Maps: The Oregon Department of Transportation web site has maps (in .pdf format) of Union County in the La Grande and Interstate 84 areas and OR203 and Union areas that cover this route.
The route runs southbound from downtown La Grande on the west side of Interstate 84 along Foothill Road (adjacent to the Historic Oregon Trail) past the Ladd March Wildlife Refuge to its junction at Exit 268 on the Interstate.
The route continues on the east side of the freeway to connect with state route OR203 at Hot Lake where the ruins of the Hot Lake Spa are located. This was a highly acclaimed clinic in the early 20th Century.
OR203 leads to Union, a very attractive town with a number of places of historic interest, including the Union County Museum.
From Union the tour route continues southbound on OR237 to Telocaset Lane, a 15-mile gravel road which reconnects the tour route to the east with OR203 to return northbound to Union.
(OR237 continues past Telocaset Lane to connect with Interstate 84 at Exit 285 in North Powder. This provides an opportunity to explore part of the tour route without making the full trip. Alternatively, North Powder can be used as a starting point for exploring this tour route.)
Catherine Creek State Park is adjacent to OR203/The Medical Springs Highway and approximately 8.5 miles south of downtown Union.
From Union return to OR237/The Cove Highway to Cove, a small town resting at the base of Mount Fanny. The Ascension Chapel in Cove was built in 1869 and was more recently honored by a visit by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
The tour route continues northbound on OR237 and diverts to paved and gravel roads adjacent to the Grande Ronde River at the base of the Wallowa Mountains passing through mint fields and cherry orchards before connecting with OR82 at Island City. From there take OR82 back to La Grande to complete the tour route.
The Grande Tour Route page on the Oregon.com web site has additional information to assist with travel planning and driving directions.