Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 31, 2019)
JOURNEY Blue Mountain Eagle C8 Olive Lake Wednesday, July 31, 2019 recreation , nature and history Eagle photos/Richard Hanners Olive Lake’s 160 acres of deep water offer a wide range of boating and fishing opportunities. 160 acres, 100 feet deep at 6,200 feet in the Blue Mountains By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle O live Lake is unique in offering visitors a tri- fecta of recreation, nature watching and history all in one package. The 160-acre, 100-foot deep lake sits at 6,200 feet elevation in the Blue Moun- tains about 12 miles west of the historic mining town of Granite. Legend says the lake was named for the wife of a miner or dam caretaker. Remnants of a cabin can be found in the Forest Service campground. The campground fea- tures 28 campsites and seven accessible toilet facil- ities. A 2.5-mile trail circles Olive Lake features 28 campsites, and many were well stocked with firewood after a hazard tree mitigation project ended. the lake, providing access to wilderness and scenic trails, a boat ramp and two docks. No potable water or garbage service is available. Visitors to Olive Lake will find fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, hunting and photography opportuni- ties. Gas and electric trolling boat motors are allowed but no wakes, water skiing or personal watercraft. Nesting osprey, swim- ming otters and abundant 128887 128466 wildflowers can be seen at the lake. Anglers will find redband rainbow and brook trout up to 15 inches, the occasional Lahontan cut- throat trout and kokanee salmon up to 12 inches. The log crib and rock dam was originally built in 1908 to increase water stor- age for the Fremont Power- house about 8 miles away. A redwood pipe at the base of the dam once brought water to the powerhouse. The Forest Service is working on plans to fix a dis- charge gate in the man-made dam that stopped work- ing properly in 2016. Half an acre around the 30-foot dam is closed to hikers and a string of buoys mark a 200- foot portion of the lake that is closed to swimmers and boaters. The Olive Lake Camp- ground is available on a first-come, first-served basis with fees at $12 per night for single campsites, with $5 per additional vehicle, and $25 per night for group campsites. From John Day, drive east on Highway 26 to Austin Junction, follow State Route 7 for 25 miles, turn left on State Route 410, drive about 20 miles to Granite, turn left on County Road 24, after 3.6 miles bear right on Forest Service Road 10 and drive 7.5 miles to the lake. For more information, call the North Fork John Day Ranger Station at 541- 427-3231 or visit fs.usda. gov/umatilla. FRONTIER EQUIPMENT REPAIR AIRPLANE RIDES Grant County Regional Airport AUTO REPAIR & 24 HOUR TOWING FLY-IN Saturday, September 14th, 7am -11:30am John Day, Oregon 541-575-1151 FREE RIDE S for children 1st to 12th grad e only A dam built in 1908 raised the level of Olive Lake to increase water storage for the Fremont Power Station. Located downtown, steps away from restaurants, shops & antiques. • Charming Affordable Rooms • Free Secure Wi-Fi • Cable TV • A/C • Beer and Wine Bar • Tesla and Universal Charging Stations Airplane Rides Provided by Grant County Air Search 127790 112 Front St., Prairie City f 541-820-4800 www.hotelprairie.com f hotelprairie@ortelco.net 130425 Grant County Regional Airport 541-932-4777 • 250 E Main St. • Mt. Vernon Kayaking, paddleboarding and canoeing are popular pasttimes on Olive Lake.
