Wednesday August 13, 2025
- Starting Point: Six Mile Meadows (mile 35.8)
- Ending Point: Wallow Lake Trailhead (mile 42.4)
- Hiking Distance: 6.4 miles
Trails:
- Lake Basin Trail #1810
- West Fork Wallowa Trail #1820
The sound of the rushing water near Six Mile Meadow was my constant soundtrack throughout the night. But even that couldn’t keep me lying in my tent much past sunrise. Instead, I was up early and out of camp by 6:30 am.
This was my final morning in the Wallowas, and I only had 6.5-ish miles remaining before I got back to the trailhead. If I hustled, I might even make it to town for a late breakfast! The closest town is Joseph, which sits on the north end of Wallowa Lake. Based on my drive through town several days ago, I had little doubt I’d get a nice plate of warm food for my belly there.
One last trail
Six Mile Meadow was where the Lake Basin Trail (#1810) and West Fork Wallowa Trail (#1820) converged, so the remainder of my trip was on the latter trail as it paralleled the West Fork of the Wallowa River. The two creeks I’d forded yesterday afternoon were also technically part of this same river running downhill toward Wallowa Lake. They were just smaller arms of the river that would soon merge and run through the canyon.
My only real obstacle this morning was a few downed trees near the meadow, and the overgrown bushes of berries that lined the side of the trail.
As I hiked north, the tall peaks to my right still blocked the sun’s warming rays. However, I managed to catch some views of it on the tops of the peaks on the opposite side of the river canyon. The magenta fireweed blooming in the foreground was a sure sign that wildfires had come through here sometime in the past decade, but most of the environment seemed to be thriving.
Today’s short hike back to the trailhead didn’t include any high passes or alpine lakes. Just a nice, easy downhill alongside the river. Although I could usually hear the water pouring over the rocks and rapids, I only caught occasional glimpses of the water racing toward lower elevations.
During my first hour, two early morning trail runners came jogging up the path toward me in the cool morning air. They were pretty deep in the woods, and I figured they must have started running even earlier than I’d started hiking to be here already.
As I continued downhill, the key difference I noted between the East Fork Wallowa Trail and the West Fork Wallowa Trail was the amount of water flowing over the trail. My journey on the East Fork Trail had been mostly dry, except for the one water crossing over the East Fork of the river. Meanwhile, this morning’s trail seemed to have water flowing across the trail everywhere, with plenty of mud and puddles to navigate around.
More trail surprises
As I continued downhill, my nose suddenly picked up the pungent odor of pack animals ahead. I’d seen a few day-old piles of horse manure on the trail, so I assumed there might be some horses or mules ahead of me around the next bend. But there wasn’t.
As I continued down the trail another quarter mile, the smell seemed to fade, and I began to question my assessment. I’d definitely smelled the must of an animal. There was no place in this section of the trail to bed down any stock animals though. The terrain dropped off toward the river on my left, and it was completely overgrown and forested to my right.
Maybe it wasn’t horses. But the odor was so strong and distinct that I knew I’d definitely passed close to some large animal. Several minutes later, I passed some deer droppings on the trail. I shook my head. It wasn’t a deer I’d passed. The smell was definitely more potent and more musky than a deer. Perhaps it was some elk? Or a black bear in the woods?
Whatever it was, I never did see it, but I’ll have to look up the different wildlife in the Wallowas when I returned home to see if I could puzzle it out.
Eventually, I arrived at the junction for Ice Lake, and the trail briefly transitioned to a softer, almost sandy tread underfoot. Ice Lake is one of the two high-elevation lakes in the Wallowas with a sizable mountain goat population. It’s much closer to any of the trailheads than Glacier Lake (and far easier to reach), so the lake tends to be quite popular with day hikers. But at this early hour, the trail was still totally quiet.
Berries!
Once I got below the Ice Lake junction, the trail seemed to parallel the river more closely. One of the natural consequences of this closeness to a water source was all the bushes containing berries.
I’d passed through plenty of the trail lined with tall thimbleberry plants. Some of the plants were so tall, they reached a foot or more over my head. But then, more and more different ripe berries kept catching my eye. Some were round. Some were segmented with drupelets (like blackberries and raspberries)
After a while, I’d seen so many different varieties that I started taking photos of the berries to form my own “berry bingo” card. (Yes, I’m a nerd like that!)
Middle (L-R): Thimbleberry, Rough-fruited fairy bells, Oregon grape
Bottom (L-R): Elderberry, Snowberry, Red baneberry
I’d descended nearly six miles when I caught my first glimpse of Wallowa Lake peeking through the trees. There weren’t any open or panoramic views like I’d gotten on my ascent on the East Fork Wallowa Trail, but I could still catch slivers of blue reflecting off the water a mile or so in the distance. I was almost there!
Soon thereafter, I crossed paths with several more small groups of trail runners trotting up the trail toward me. And then I reached the brown wooden sign marking the wilderness boundary. I was officially leaving the wilds of the Wallowas and returning to civilization.
A quarter-mile later, the trail split. One direction led hikers toward Wallowa Lake State Park and Campground, while the other one took hikers back to the trailhead where I’d parked. The humming of the hydroelectric station beckoned as I walked the final 300 yards to the front country. And just like that, my 42-mile hike into the Wallowas was complete!
Joseph, Oregon
Once back at the Wallowa Lake trailhead, I was relieved to find that my car hadn’t been towed away, all my windows were intact, and all four tires were still inflated (hey, you never know…).
It wasn’t even 9 am yet, and I was itching for a hot breakfast. But before I could do that, I needed to shower off the last four days of sweat and grime. There were times when I’d been the smelly hiker who walked into a restaurant straight off the trail. But that wasn’t necessary at the end of this trip.
Wallowa Lake State Park is situated just a mile from the trailhead and features a large campground with over 200 campsites. Additionally, non-campers can pay $5 to use the showers and bathroom facilities. Just what the doctor ordered!
Once I was clean and changed into a fresh set of clothes, it was time to drive the 10 minutes over to Joseph, where I ordered breakfast at Cheyenne Cafe (seriously, they have HUGE hiker portions) and did a bit of walking around this cute mountain town.
Unfortunately, I could only procrastinate for so long. I had a 440-mile drive back to begin, so I could get home. And with that in mind, I bid goodbye to the Wallowas. This was my first trip to this lovely mountain range, and I’m confident it won’t be my last.
Highlights
- I absolutely loved seeing all the different berries lining the trail during my descent. I was careful not to try anything but the raspberries or blackberries, since some of the wild berries in th Wallowas can be toxic (e.g., elderberries must be cooked to neutralize their toxins and make them safe to eat)
- Today’s hike to the trailhead was super easy thanks to my decision to push past Horseshoe Lake and on to Six Mile Meadow yesterday.
- Having a bit of time to explore Joseph was really nice. I’d never been to this town before and enjoyed learning about it’s history and Chief Joseph.
Challenges
- There was a small part of my brain that always frets a little about leaving my car at the trailhead. I wasn’t too worried about property damage, but the trailhead shares a parking lot with the Little Alps Day-Use Area, and I hoped the city wouldn’t tow cars if they’d been there for too many days.
- Deciding where to eat at the end of my hike was a slight challenge. Joseph has several cute little cafes and coffeehouses, but my decision to stop at Cheyenne Cafe was the perfect one. Their breakfast portions could feed an entire family (or one really hungry hiker).