J OURNEY
Through Grant County and beyond
JULY 2022
Steven Mitchell/Blue Mountain Eagle
The relatively easy hike to Strawberry Lake off ers a spectacular introduction to the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.
CROWD PLEASER
P
Strawberry Lake showcases
the best of the Strawberry
Mountain Wilderness
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
GETTING THERE
To reach the Strawberry Basin Trail, take
Highway 26 to Prairie City. Turn south onto
South Main Street, crossing the John Day
River and passing the Sumpter Valley Rail-
way Depot and Dewitt Museum on the left.
RAIRIE CITY — For those strapped for time, a quick
hike to Strawberry Lake is a great way to take in the
snow-capped peaks, alpine lakes and waterfalls that
highlight the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.
The mountain and nearby Strawberry Creek were
named by homesteader Nathan Willis Fisk “because there were
abundant wild strawberries.”
The mountain was initially named “Strawberry Butte,” but
everyday use changed it to Strawberry Mountain, which now
appears on offi cial maps.
In 1984, the Oregon Wilderness Act more than doubled the orig-
inal area of the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness to its current total
of 68,700 acres, according to the U.S. Forest Service
Strawberry Lake formed during the ice age, when massive land-
slides dammed the gorge. A thousand years ago a glacier fi lled the
valley from both sides until the ice melted and the unsupported
cliff s on both sides collapsed.
Bennett Hall/Blue Mountain Eagle
See Lake, Page 3
A bridge crosses a small creek at the head of Strawberry Lake.
Turn left on Southwest Bridge Street, and,
after a short distance, turn right on South
Bridge Street at a sign for Strawberry
Campground, 11 miles away. Continue
south on County Road 60, which turns
to gravel after a few miles. The road is
well-maintained for all but the last mile or
so, when it becomes steeper and rougher.
The road ends at Strawberry Camp, the
trailhead for Strawberry Basin Trail. There is
no parking fee, and no permits are required
for hiking in the Strawberry Mountain
Wilderness.
Depot RV Park
Dream. Explore. Discover.
You have arrived.
20 Full RV Hookups - 50 Amp
Covered Picnic Area & Playground
Tent Sites & Showering Facility
Quiet Setting • Wi-Fi
Slow down and live deliberately.
Canyon City • Dayville • Granite • John Day • Long Creek
Prairie City • Monument • Mt Vernon • Seneca
4 blocks south of Hwy 26 on Main Street
Prairie City • 541-820-3605
Grant COUnty ChamBER OF ComMERCE
301 W Main, John Day, OR • 541-575-0547 • www. GCOregonLive.com
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