Eastern Oregon is referred to the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic body, so the boundaries vary accordingly. It is sometimes said to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state, but sometimes it is also said to include the entire area east of the Cascade Range.

Overview

The spirit of the West is alive and well in Eastern Oregon where snow-capped peaks look down on rolling hills, complex desert lands and wild rivers. It is the land of magnificent attractiveness including the magical Painted Hills near John Day, the colossal Steens Mountains and the jaw-dropping depths of Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America.

Geography

It is said that Eastern Oregon includes only the following counties: Morrow, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Grant, Baker, Harney, and Malheur. Other definitions of the region are sometimes more restrictive, others include the base eight counties listed above plus several adjacent counties, while some definitions include the entire area east of the Cascade Range; this meaning would also include Sherman, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Wasco, and Wheeler counties.

Tourism

Eastern Oregon is a place of tremendous beauty; from Hells Canyon’s wildest rapids to the sparkling peaks of the Wallowas, from the rolling wheat fields of the Columbia River Plateau to the rugged breaks of Steens Mountain. The skies are wide and blue, and stunning scenery unfolds around every bend in the road. Adventure awaits you. East Oregonians are proud of their heritage, Chief Joseph, Lewis and Clark, Oregon Trail pioneers, and those who followed to settle the land.

Attractions

There are many places of attractions in eastern Oregon like the John Day Fossil Beds and the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center Museum, where fun, interactive exhibits will keep the kids mesmerized for hours. Stand in the ruts left by thousands of wagons headed west along the Oregon Trail and relive their journey at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and its impact on Native Americans at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. Be sure to tour the Pendleton Underground, infamous for its illegal saloons, bordellos and opium dens, and ride the Eagle Cap Excursion Train, which chugs through the wild & scenic Grande Ronde River to the base of the magnificent Wallowas.

Outdoor Recreational Activities

John Day River, one of the longest undammed rivers in the U.S., provides scenic fishing, camping and birding. Hells Canyon, the deepest river-cut gorge in North America, offers 900 miles of picturesque hiking and extreme white-water rafting, jet-boating and kayaking on the Snake River.

In the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, take your mountain bike up the gondola to the 8,256-foot summit of Mount Howard for breathtaking views and one heck of a downhill ride. For prime wildlife watching, catch more than 225 species of migratory birds at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge or watch Pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, mule deer, and more at Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.

Arts & Culture

The region’s rich culture and heritage is rooted in the spirit of the Native Americans, cowboys, Basque sheepherders, Japanese farmers, Chinese railroad workers and European settlers who have lived or passed through the land. Relive pioneer migration at the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and its impact on Native Americans at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute and Ontario’s Four River’s Cultural Center.

You can go back to the era of the gold rush and check out historic Baker City and John’s Day’s Kam Wah Chung Museum, a perfectly preserved Chinese pharmacy and general store that embodies the Chinese immigrants who made significant contributions to the cultural and economic development of the American West.

These are some important facts about mesmerizing eastern Oregon.

Tags: Eastern Oregon, easternmost counties, U.S. state of Oregon