The Greenhorn Mountains along the Blue Mountains Trail in Northeast Oregon.

Northeast Oregon boasts some of the most magnificent granite peaks and rugged river canyons in the entire West.

Now, a 530-mile route between Joseph and John Day allows hikers to experience the most beautiful terrain in the region. The Blue Mountains Trail stretches from the Wallowa Mountains, to Hells Canyon, the Elkhorn Mountains, the North Fork John Day Wilderness, the Greenhorn Mountains and the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.

The Blue Mountains Trail was established in 2021 by the Greater Hells Canyon Council (GHCC). According to a news release, the route is “an invitation to experience and protect the unparalleled cultural, historical, and ecological splendors of Northeast Oregon.”

Presentation in Bend

Bend’s Renee Patrick, an experienced long-distance hiker who covered the route solo in 2020, will give a presentation on the trail at Mountain Supply in Bend on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Patrick will cover the history of creating the route and share a glimpse into the incredible vistas of the Blue Mountains.

Patrick hiked almost 600 miles to explore what became the 530-mile trail. She is a triple-crown thru-hiker, has worked to develop the 750-mile Oregon Desert Trail for the Oregon Natural Desert Association for the last eight years, and this year launched a long-distance trail consulting business.

“I think backpackers have a unique connection to the land because we spend so much time living and walking through places like the Wallowa Mountains, along the North Fork of the John Day River, and through the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness,” Patrick said. “A conservation organization creating a trail to help connect the recreation community to the environmental issues facing this corner of Oregon shows incredible vision and creativity. I’m excited to be a part of the effort.”

Resources are available from GHCC to plan short day hikes, backpacking adventures, or even a full end-to-end thru-hike from John Day to Joseph. Find all the information at www.hellscanyon.org/blue-mountains-trail.

Variety of landscapes

Patrick said it was hard to pick her favorite section of the Blue Mountains Trail.

“I think of all the different high alpine, granite landscapes,” Patrick said. “Definitely the Wallowas, the Elkhorns are stunning. We really don’t have these types of mountain ranges in other places in Oregon. But then I really enjoyed the hike along the North Fork of the John Day River. It’s an un-dammed river. It’s the longest un-dammed river in Oregon. It’s getting face to face with a lot of these natural processes.”

After Patrick’s solo hike, the GHCC sorted through the data and came up with the alignment of the trail that made the most sense.

“The idea is to just use what’s existing, not really build new trail,” Patrick said. “Because there’s so much there that can be improved.”

Seasonal considerations for the route include high snowpack well into the summer and high water along the John Day River that must be crossed.

“The Wallowas have a lot of snow through summer,” Patrick said. “It’s ideally a late summer/fall hike. There’s definitely sections that can be enjoyed any season for day hikes. If you like snow, there’s lots of chances to cross-country ski or snowshoe along the trail. Because the route is so new, there’s a lot of work to be done to really flush out all the hike options.”

Patrick said the route allows hikers to experience some of the lesser-known areas of Oregon, including the Greenhorn Mountains and the North Fork of the John Day.

“It’s a way to look beyond two or three spots,” Patrick said. “There’s areas for shorter hikes. The thru-hikers are the minority. It’s more for day hikers, weekend trips, and getting people familiar with the region and caring about what happens to it.”

More hiking information

Patrick is launching a new online event series this fall called Intentional Hiking: a conversation. The bi-monthly discussion series will be focused on humans’ relationship with the environment, trails and each other.

She is also teaching a class at Central Oregon Community College called Cold Weather Backpacking on the Oregon Desert Trail, largely informed by her Blue Mountains Trail fall hike, during which temperatures dipped to 5 degrees.