- Oregon County HP: #24
- Difficulty: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (on a scale of 5)
- Summit Elevation: 9,566 feet
- Mountain Range: Wallowa Mountains
- Ancestral Lands: Confederated Tribes of the Colville; Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla; Nimiipuu (Nez Perce)
PLANNING DETAILS
Location: Eagle Cap is located within the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon, approximately 40 miles east of La Grande, Oregon. The closest small town with services is Joseph, Oregon, which is a popular summer vacation destination.
When to Visit: Summer and early fall. Like many higher elevation peaks in eastern Oregon, Eagle Cap can still be covered in snow into late June. The shortest route to this high point is 18 miles round-trip from the Two Pan Trailhead. However, many visitors opt to turn their trip into the Eagle Cap Wilderness into a multi-day backpacking trip from the Two Pan TH or the Wallowa Lake TH.
Fees/Permits Required: All visitors to the Eagle Cap Wilderness must fill out a free, self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead kiosk where they enter. Parking at the Two Pan Trailhead (the closest trailhead) costs $5/day, and the Northwest Forest Pass and America the Beautiful Pass are accepted in lieu of this parking fee. Parking at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead is currently free.
Getting There: Eagle Cap is most easily approached from the the Two Pan Trailhead located approximately 18 miles shout of Lostine, Oregon.
Directions to the Two Pan TH from La Grande:
- From I-84, take exit 261 (OR-82) and drive east toward Elgin and Wallowa Lake.
- Follow OR-82 east for 1.3 miles to Island City.
- Turn left at the traffic light in Island City to continue east on OR-82 for 17.9 miles to Elgin.
- Near the Elgin Opera House, turn right on OR-82 and drive 34 more miles to Lostine.
- Once in Lostine, turn right onto Lostine River Road and follow the road for 18 miles until it ends at the Two Pan Trailhead. The first one-third of this road is paved; the next one-third of the road is a two-lane gravel road. And the final one-third of the road is a single-lane dirt road with turn-outs.
Hikers who wish to take a longer backpacking trip through the Wallowas and Eagle Cap Wilderness often begin their hike trip at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead on the south end of Wallowa Lake.
Directions to the Wallowa Lake TH from La Grande:
- From I-84, take exit 261 (OR-82) and drive east toward Elgin and Wallowa Lake.
- Follow OR-82 east for 1.3 miles to Island City.
- Turn left at the traffic light in Island City to continue east on OR-82 for 17.9 miles to Elgin.
- Near the Elgin Opera House, turn right on OR-82 and drive 44 miles toward Enterprise and Wallowa Lake.
- In Enterprise, turn right at N. River Street and continue to follow OR-82 for 6.2 more miles to Joseph.
- At the far end of Joseph’s Main Street, follow OR-82 for 7 additional miles until the road comes to a dead end at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead and Little Alps Day Use Area.
Parking:
- Two Pan Trailhead has two parking lots. The lower lot is for passenger vehicles, while the upper lot has parking with pull-through spaces for truck hauling horse and stock trailers. Parking costs $5/day. There are vault toilets near the trailhead, but no potable water or trash.
- Wallowa Lake Trailhead has paved parking for 50 vehicles and is co-located with the Little Alps Day Use Area at the end of OR-82. Parking at this trailhead is free. There are flush toilets and potable water at the Little Alps Day Use Area.
Pets Allowed: Yes. This county high point sits within the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Eagle Cap Wilderness..
Kid Friendly: Yes. However, because of the distance and elevation of this hike, it is best reserved for children ages 14+.
Hiking Distance: 18+ miles round-trip depending on the route used.
The Summit: Eagle Cap’s summit is relatively flat with some small trees on its western side and panoramic views of the Wallowa Mountains. There are several round boulders spaced on the summit, with the largest one being the high point. There is no survey benchmark or summit log atop the peak.
TRIP SUMMARY
Date Visited: August 12, 2025
Route Used: 42-mile loop hike from the Wallowa Lake Trailhead
This was my first trip to the Wallowas after many years of postponing visits for one reason or another (It’s too far…I already have my whole summer planned out…Wildfires…).
So, rather than take the most expedient route to the summit and back via the Two Pan Trailhead, I opted for a longer 42-mile loop trail that would give me a broad introduction to the Eagle Cap Wilderness. I highly recommend this route if you have the time and physical stamina.
A detailed summary of my multi-day backpacking adventure in the Wallowas can be read HERE. But, here’s an overview of my itinerary for my trek:
| Day | Start/End | Distance | Trails Taken |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eugene, OR to Wallowa Lake TH | 445 miles (driving) | |
| 1b | Wallowa Lake TH to Aneroid Lake | 6.7 miles | East Fork Wallowa River Trail #1804 |
| 2 | Aneroid Lake to Glacier Lake | 13.7 miles | East Fork Wallowa River Trail #1804 Polaris Trail #1831 West Fork Wallowa River Trail #1820 Glacier Lake Trail #1806 |
| 3 | Glacier Lake to Eagle Cap to Six Mile Meadow | 15.4 miles | Glacier Lake Trail #1806 East Eagle Trail #1805 Eagle Cap Summit Trail #1910 Moccasin Trail #1810A Lake Basin Trail #1810 |
| 4 | Six Mile Meadow to Wallowa Lake TH | 6.4 miles | Lake Basin Trail #1810 West Fort Wallowa River Trail #1820 |
| 4b | Wallowa Lake TH to Home | 445 miles (driving) |
This trip report only covers the morning of Day 3: Glacier Lake to Mirror Lake and Eagle Cap.
I woke up at Glacier Lake around 5 am, with the mountain goats as my alarm clock. The goats that made this alpine lake home were already clomping around the rocks near my tent below the rising sun.
Despite their interruption, it was delightful spending the night at this campsite with its fantastic views. Highpointers who approach Eagle Cap from the Two Pan Trailhead end up at Mirror Lake instead of Glacier Lake. Thus, this distinctive lake, located just one pass over from Eagle Cap, felt like a totally different world.
The sun cast a lovely warm hue on Glacier Peak as I climbed up and over Glacier Pass on my way to the Lakes Basin. I wanted to get an early start to beat the crowds and also avoid the mid-August heat, which had felt like it was roasting my brain yesterday, even though I was at roughly 7,000 feet of elevation.
On the north side of Glacier Pass, snow still clung to the slopes, and melting water ran downhill over the trail on its way to the lakes below me. Grass patches of wildflowers dotted the trail, and it was a breathtaking way to start my morning.
The first lake I came upon was Moccasin Lake, a long expanse of water that stretched east. Even though it was early, the sun was warming the landscape. It was going to be another hot day, and most people out here were barely rising for breakfast.
My initial goal was to get to the edge of Mirror Lake (just west of Mocassin Lake), where I could set up my tent and shove most of my gear inside rather than carrying it up the 2,000-foot climb that lay ahead this morning. The lighter I was, the better.
This was also my first opportunity to see Eagle Cap in the distance. Views of this high peak had been totally obscured from my vantage point at Glacier Lake last night. But now I could see the triangular granite peak with a giant patch of snow on its north side.
On the right side of the mountain, two dark jagged stripes seemed to zigzag their way down the mountain like lightning bolts in the granite. In a few short hours, I would be at the top of that mountain looking down at this green landscape below.
After setting up my tent and ditching most of my gear inside it, I was ready to tackle Eagle Cap in earnest. It was barely 7:30 am, and I already had 4+ miles on my legs, but I still felt fresh as I pushed toward the first junction and the bevy of signs waiting to be deciphered.
This junction was where I’d join any hikers who’d come in from the Two Pan Trailhead (and E Fork Lostine Trail #1662). The most important of these signs was the one pointing to Horton Pass. I was currently at 7,662 feet, and I’d need to take the East Eagle Trail up to 8,330 feet. This initial ascent was only 0.7 miles long, but my calves burned as I hiked up a series of switchbacks and the first leg of the trail above Upper Lake.
Once I reached an elevation of 8,300 feet, I met another signposted junction at a relatively flat alpine meadow. The East Eagle Trail turned right toward Horton Pass here and then headed further south through the Wallowas. Meanwhile, I needed to continue straight ahead onto the Eagle Cap Summit Trail for the remainder of my trek uphill. Only 1,200 vertical feet of climbing to go!
The Eagle Cap summit trail was well-defined the entire way. And the only real obstacle I encountered was a 20-foot section of trail that was still covered with snow. But even this stretch was easy enough to walk over or work one’s way around by going up the slope.
I didn’t see a single soul while I trudged slowly uphill, and I began to wonder if there was anyone else out here with me at all. Maybe I was just ahead of the crowds with my early ascent.
After about 0.5 mile of climbing, the trail finally leveled out as it wound around the back side of an unnamed subpeak. This section of the trail was not only easier to hike, but it provided some much-needed shade from the sun climbing higher and higher in the sky.
During the final stretch of climbing and switchbacks up the peak’s western slope, I was treated to fantastic views of the mountains to the south. A cirque of mountains, including Needle Point, created an amphitheater-like depression for Eagle Lake (which was just out of sight).
I emerged from the sparse bushes and trees to the flattish summit at just before 9 am. I hadn’t seen a single other hiker during my ascent. But there was one solitary hiker up here at the top, resting in the shade.
My fellow hiker was from Corvallis and introduced himself as Alex. He said he drove out to the Two Pan Trailhead yesterday and hiked a few miles up the trail to set up camp last night. Unfortunately, he’d only been able to sleep a single hour in his tent, so he decided to make an early push to the summit before the day warmed up.
As Alex packed up, I surveyed my surroundings. The summit was just a handful of boulders with a dangerously sharp drop-off beyond them. Panoramic views of the Wallowas stretched out before me, and the only direction that was obscured was to the southwest due to the six to eight-foot-tall trees in that direction.
To my southeast, I could see Glacier Peak and the lovely lake where I’d woken up this morning. The small peninsula of land seemed to turn Glacier Lake into a sapphire blue heart from this vantage point.
Above the lake, I noted the ice and snow clinging to Glacier Peak’s northern side. I’d barely noticed the glacier yesterday because the granite had been so gray in the afternoon sun. This ice mass is the last glacier left in the Wallowa Mountains, and it was named Benson Glacier in 1914 in honor of the former Governor of Oregon, Frank W. Benson.
Benson was an interesting namesake for a glacier in the Wallowas. He wasn’t from eastern Oregon (he was originally from California), and his legacy seems to be his naked power grab in violation of the state’s constitution.
Benson was elected as Secretary of State in 1906, and he automatically became the Governor in early 1909 when Gov. George Chamberlain was elected to the U.S. Senate and vacated the Governor’s mansion. Since Oregon didn’t have a Lieutenant Governor, Benson was next in line of succession. However, he refused to resign his original office, and he unconstitutionally served as both the Secretary of State and Governor for the next 18 months (while conveniently drawing both paychecks).
Beaking with my thoughts of local politics, I shifted my gaze northward, toward the famed Lakes Basin of the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Directly below me, I could see Mirror Lake and Moccasin Lake, which I’d walked alongside earlier this morning. The distinctive Hurricane Divide stretched up above Mirror Lake, and Sacajawea Peak – the tallest Mountain in the Wallowas – was clearly visible in the distance.
The day was warming up now, even up here at 9,566 feet. Time to find the summit register and take my summit photo so I could begin the return trip back to Mirror Lake.
I walked around the top of Eagle Cap for the next few minutes searching for the summit register, but didn’t find anything secreted atop this peak. No ammo box or glass jar. No survey benchmark. Just the flat dirt summit with some round boulders.
Alex was already heading back down the trail, so I hoisted myself atop the tallest boulder on the summit and took a selfie atop Union County’s high point. Oregon county high point #24 was in the books. I’m two-thirds of the way through my quest to stand atop all 36 counties in the state.
The descent back down to Mirror Lake was both easier and far busier than I expected. Alex and I were definitely in the front of the pack for summiting Eagle Cap this morning, and I passed at least two dozen hikers on their way up as I strode down the trail.
By the time I finished my detour up Eagle Cap and returned to my tent near Mirror Lake, I’d hiked 8.4 miles. It was time for some lunch, an extended break to read my book, and then on to backpacking around more alpine lakes.
BONUS MATERIAL
Camping Nearby:
- Wallowa Lake State Park is located one mile from the Wallowa Lake Trailhead and 6 miles from Joseph, OR. This large state park campground is open year-round with 121 full hook-up sites, 88 tent sites, 2 yurts, hiker/biker camping, flush toilets, hot showers, potable water, and a boat ramp. Cost: $26-39 per campsite; $7-10 for hiker/biker camp; $5 for non-campers to use showers.
- Williamson Campground is located 11 miles from Lostine, OR. This seasonal USFS campground offers 13 camp sites, picnic tables, and a vault toilet. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no potable water, trash cans, or bear boxes on-site. Cost: $10 per night.
- Shady Campground is located near the Two Pan Trailhead, 18 miles from Lostine, OR. This primitive USFS campground is open during the summer months and limited to two campsites, picnic tables, and a vault toilet. Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and there is no potable water on-site. Cost: $10 per night. (Note: Several other small USFS campgrounds with similar amenities are dotted on Upper Lostine Road, including: Arrow Forest Camp, Turkey Flat Forest Camp, Irondyke Forest Camp, and Walla Walla Forest Camp)
Resources:
- Highpointing Eagle Cap (Peakbagger)
- Eagle Cap HIking Routes (Summit Post)
- Eagle Cap Wilderness Visitor Permits (USFS)
- Wallowa Mountains Map (Green Trails)
- Wallowa Mountains-Eagle Cap Loop (Outdoor Pilgrim)