Building Bridges
Highlights & Remarkable Spots
Wallowa (the town) / @ start
Wallowa is a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that in turn supported a network of sticks called lacallas to form a fish trap. The Nez Perce put these traps in the Wallowa River below the outlet of Wallowa Lake. The author of Oregon Geographic Names, Lewis A. McArthur, said that although the origin of this name is disputed, he puts great weight in Levi Ankeny who supplied this information as he was “thoroughly familiar with the early history and tradition of the Wallowa Valley” and “on intimate terms with many Indians who knew the facts of the matter”. Picture – Main Street Wallowa 1910 [Wikipedia]
Wallowa Cemetery / ~ mile 2
The Wallowa Cemetery (also known as the Catholic Cemetery) is an Oregon historic cemetery. Take the time to wander the grounds; you’re sure to see gravestones from the late 1800s!
Wallowa Mountains / ~ mile 7
The Wallowa Mountains, often referred to as the “Alps of Oregon,” have the most complicated and longest geological history of any range in Oregon. A unique combination of granite and limestone, so vastly different than that of the Central Oregon Cascades.
Learn how to “untangle what you see” in this podcast with geologist Dr. Kim Ely.
Old Homesteads / ~ Mile 11
Along the route you will see some mature, gnarly, weathered apple trees. In later summer they are populated with smallish red apples. These trees are usually indicative of homesteads from the late 1800s early 1900s.
Joseph Branch Trail / ~ miles 14 to 20
The Joseph Branch Trail-with-Rail Consortium is “developing a non-motorized trail alongside the existing railroad tracks (just to the west of the route, miles 14 to 20) within the publicly-owned Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority corridor. Starting in Elgin, the trail winds through the Grande Ronde and Wallowa river valleys, terminating 63 miles later in Joseph. Along the way, the trail connects the small towns of Minam, Wallowa, Lostine, and Enterprise. Love this picture! Click on it to see in full view.
Wallowa River / ~ mile 14
For the Nez Perce Tribe, the river is an integral part of their history and culture. It was a vital source of food and water for their people, and the surrounding area served as a gathering place for tribal ceremonies and traditions. In addition to its cultural importance, the Wallowa River is a critical component of the region’s ecosystem. It provides habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife, including salmon, steelhead, and bull trout, as well as elk, bear, and a wide variety of birds. [Winding Rivers]
Nez Perce Historic Site / ~ mile 17.5
The confluence of the Wallowa and Lostine Rivers merge in a stand of cottonwood trees where the Nez Perce manage a weir for fish monitoring and restoration. In 2021, after decades of work improving fish passage past 8 major dams, the tribe was successful in reintroducing coho salmon to the Lostine River.
Chief Joseph, known to his tribe as Tuekakas, was originally buried close to here, but after vandalism from white settlers, his body was interred to the banks of Wallowa Lake . Note that this site is a 1-mile detour south from the published route at ~ mile 17.5 Take Baker Road. [Oregon Live]
Wallowa History Center / @ Finish
When you finish your ride, head over to Little Bear Drive Inn, grab a bit to eat and then make a stop at the Wallowa History Center. Located in the historic U.S. Forest Service headquarters building of the Bear-Sleds Ranger District. The center is currently (2023) under-going major revisions to include an interpretive center to tell the natural and social history of the Wallowa country from Nez Perce times through the settlement period to the present. The center will display artwork, historic photographs, artifacts, maps, and documents. The center also has a research library that houses over 4,000 files on historical topics and family names, along with hundreds of books, manuscripts, theses, diaries, ledgers, and other objects.
When We Like to Ride This
A special time to visit and ride this area is during the Nez Perce Tamkaliks Celebration – (almost) always the 3rd Weekend in July. Enjoy three days of song and dance, culminating in a walasit service and Friendship feast. Descendants, locals, and visitors attend together. Camping and dancer registration is free!
Another great time to ride is late spring when the fields are green and there’s still snow on the mountains. Do not ride when wet, you will be into a muddy, sticky mess!
Terrain & Riding
Riding this route in a clockwise direction gives you a nice climb up into the hills with a long, slow descent. Mostly gravel, the route finishes with a nice ramble along the Wallowa River.
You will encounter a mix of terrains from rolling grassy hills, to the pristine Wallowa valley, to basalt outcroppings, and farmlands. You are also rewarded with distant views of the Wallowa Mountains.
Miles 3.5 to 9.5 are the crux of the route. It is a single lane primitive dirt road with sector of embedded and loose gravel/rock and areas that can be deeply rutted. However, it is all rideable. Along this sector is the one significant climb of the day. The first pitch of the climb gains 800 feet, then a short break given, followed by a final short pitch that is steeper (~ 10%) and more rugged.
The good news … all the gravel before and after this is Cadillac gravel – fast and smooth!
The Start
The Wallowa City park. Flush toilets. Water.
Lat / Long: 45.572816, -117.535150
Route Notes
The roads you will be riding are working farm and ranch roads. Make sure to give way to those who are working hard to put food on your table! That may mean “skinnying-up” single-file or even stopping to let a piece of machinery by. To learn more about visiting and riding in rural farming and ranch country give a listen to our podcast “Tractors, Bulls and Lycra“.
When riding gravel, it can be noisy and difficult to hear vehicles behind you, especially in a rural setting like this. Thus, we recommend a rear-looking radar device like a Garmin Varia. Using your bike computer, it helps you see traffic behind you.
Camping. You can camp at the Nex Perce Wallowa Homelands by contacting them at the Homeland Project office, 541-886-3101 or tamkaliks@gmail.com. Also, the Wallowa River RV park is adjacent to the Nez Perce Wallow Homelands.
Warning! You may encounter puncture vines / goatheads on this route. These “buggers” will stick into and through your tires. They are most prevalent late summer and early fall. The thorn is woody and super sturdy. Here is our best advice:
- use only tubeless tires.
- top off your sealant before the ride.
- carry extra sealant and a valve core remover with you. You may need to re-add. Plugs are not a great option. You will run out of plugs before you get all the holes sealed. Only use on goathead punctures that are not sealing.
- if they embed themselves into your tire, leave them. If you pull them all out at once you will have too many holes for your sealant to fix. It will be a big fail!
- the thorns break off and embed themselves into your tire. If you have a sidewall failure on future rides and plan to use a tube, it will not work. The embedded goatheads will immediately puncture the tube.
- the solution, use CushCore or something similar. With CushCore, you can ride a tire with no air and if careful, suffer no rim damage. We have personally done this on 3 separate occusions and in total over 50 miles. No rim damage.
- when finished with your ride, remove the goatheads. Otherwise, you will spread this noxios weed to other areas. The goathead can lie dormant for over 10+ years until the conditions are right for it to sprout and grow.
We saw some cool birds on this route including red tailed hawks, sparrow hawks, and owls.
Love Where You Ride! Learn More
Nez Perce Wallowa HomelandIn 1855, the Nez Perce tribe signed a treaty with the US government, which established a reservation for them in what is now Idaho. However, the treaty was later altered by the US government without the tribe’s consent, reducing the reservation’s size and resources. After the Nez Perce War of 1877, the Nez Perce attempted to flee to Canada, covering over 1,000 miles before being captured just short of the border. As punishment, the Nez Perce were forcibly relocated to reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas. In the decades that followed, the tribe worked to regain control of their lands and resources, fighting for the restoration of their treaty rights. In the 1970s, they were successful in regaining some of their lands, including a portion of their ancestral homeland in Oregon’s Wallowa Valley.
Miles 0.4 to 1.2 pass through the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland. Please be respectful, but more importantly take the time to read the interpretive signs and learn about the history of the people and the lands.
Videos
The Ride! Building Bridges
A quick 2-minute video of what to expect on your ride!
The Nez Perce Last Stand
This 20-minute video explores the compelling history of the Nez Perce Indians and their significant battles against white settlers in the late 1800s. It delves into broken treaties and lost trust, recounting the long marches across the West and the strategic efforts to protect their ancestral [...]
Podcasts
Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland
In this episode of The Connection, we delve into the rich history and cultural significance of the Nez Perce homeland through the insightful perspectives of Katie Harris Murphy, Vice Chair / VP of Board, Wallowa Band Descendant and Joshua Sigmund, Facilities and Grounds Director at the Nez [...]
Untangling the Geological History of the Wallowa Mountains
The Wallowa Mountains in NE Oregon have the most complicated and longest geological history of any range in Oregon. In this podcast, we talk with Dr. Kim Ely, a geologist, about this unique and beautiful area. Learn how to “untangle what you see” when riding in the Wallowas!
Tractors, Bulls and Lycra
In this podcast, we talk with Daarla K who is a rancher and farmer in northeast Oregon. She and her husband operate a 1000-acre farm that has been in his family since 1886. Learn how to safely pass by big tractors and combines, how to get through a cattle drive, and what aggressive behavior [...]
Keep it Local! Learn More
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