Wallowa Lake, Oregon
 
Wallowa Lake, one of the jewels of the Wallowa valley area, is located just 1 1/2 miles south of Joseph, on Hwy 82, also called the Wallowa Lake Hwy, between two glacial morraines. The lake is a true alpine lake and is approximately 4 miles long, stretching from the north end dam to the south end marina. Both ends of the lake feature free boat launch ramps.
The lake area, located at 4,450 feet, is serviced by a tramway rising to 8,150 feet above the lake floor, and is reportedly the steepest 4 passenger gondola ride in America. The Wallowa Lake State Park is located at the south end of the lake, offering visitors a large, well maintained and staffed park for a tent or RV camping experience. The small community of Wallowa Lake offers several cabins and a chalet for rent and features 2 privately owned pools. The historic Wallowa Lake Lodge sits on the shores of the lake and offers the area fine dining. In addition, a local tavern, several gift shops, a stable with guided trail rides, and other businesses offer a variety of services.
Area visitors are often stunned by the numbers of large deer roaming the area, and frequently encountered in camp sites or even on the streets of the towns. Eagles, osprey, elk, bears and other forest wildlife are commonplace. Fishing is some of the best in the northwest, and includes land locked kokanee, Mackinaw, and trout.
The Wallowa Lake Hwy ends approximately 1 1/2 miles passed the end of the lake, near the trailhead that leads to Aneroid Lake, the first of more than 40 high altitude lakes connected by a trail system and forming the "lake basin." The Wallowa area is known as the "Little Switzerland of America" and has some of the most spectacular alpine scenery in the Pacific Northwest.
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