Eagle Cap, Oregon (backpack and car camp)

In 2021 I took my first backpacking trip to the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowa Mountains of northeastern Oregon and had a great time. I decided in the aftermath that I would return again in the future to repeat the experience and that time will be this September. The Wallowa Mountains are not all that well known but are remarkably beautiful and the hiking there is first rate. There is some elevation gain involved but the payoff is well worth the effort.
The trip is 6 days long with 4 days and 3 nights on the trail. Days 1 and 6 are travel days as the Wallowa’s are a full day’s drive from the Puget Sound area. The trip as planned is not overly demanding and will provide ample time in camp to enjoy the surroundings. Below is a general itinerary.

Day 1: Drive to Wallowa Lake State Park near Joseph, Oregon.
Camp: At Wallowa Lake State Park. I’ve procured 2 campsites for our group.
Distance: Approximately 380 miles from Seattle, depending upon where in the Seattle area you live.

Day 2: Drive 5 minutes from the state park to our trailhead and begin the hike. We’ll be hiking along the West Fork of the Wallowa River to Six Mile Meadow.
Camp: At Six Mile Meadow
Distance: 6.0 miles
Elevation gain: 1500’

Day 3: Continue along the West Fork of the Wallowa River, past Frazier Lake, to the river’s headwater at Glacier Lake.
Camp: At Glacier Lake (featured photo in the hike posting)
Distance: 6.0 miles
Elevation gain: 2200’

Day 4: Hike up over Glacier Pass (300’ gain, pass elevation = 8500’) and then drop down into the Lakes Basin with a side trip to Mirror Lake. Proceed through the Lakes Basin past Moccasin, Douglas and Lee Lakes.
Camp: At one of the many lakes in the basin. Last time I camped at Horseshoe Lake but we can camp at any of the lakes we choose
Distance: 6.5 miles, including a side trip to Mirror Lake
Elevation gain: 450’
Elevation loss: 1400’

Day 5: Hike out of the Lakes Basin and down to Six Mile Meadow and then along the West Fork of the Wallowa River to the trailhead.
Camp: At Wallowa Lake State Park (hot showers, yes!). I’ve procured 2 campsites for our group. Dinner in town (Joseph, a 10 minute drive) where we can enjoy a meal and beverage of our choice to celebrate the trip.
Distance: 9.0 miles
Elevation loss: 2500’

Day 6: Drive home.

Hiking totals:
Distance: 27.5 miles
Elevation gain: 4150’
Maximum elevation: 8500’

Cost: Fees for camping at Wallowa Lake State Park and cost of gas for the carpool driver will be shared. Assuming 4 people per car and campsite the cost should be around $60 per person plus any personal expenses such as dinner out the last night and probably lunch on the drive home. This is an approximation only for planning purposes, costs will be higher if there are fewer participants.

Note: Due to the nature of this trip please only sign up if you are committed to it. The trip will be capped at 8 due mainly to the fact that the number of campsites at Glacier Lake is limited. Also, the elevations here are higher than we’re used to in the Cascades. It’s not so high that there should be any problem although people who are highly sensitive to higher altitudes might notice that their breathing will probably be a little labored.