Oregon Foto Blog | Pictures of Oregon

Recently I hiked in the Aldrich Mountains outside of John Day in Eastern Oregon.  The Aldrich Mountains are part of the larger Blue Mountains range.  They are named after Oliver Aldrich, a pioneer who was killed by Native Americans in the Bannock War of 1878, on a nearby mountain which now bears his name.

Sunrise on the John Day River

After doing some research on where to hike in the Aldrich Mountains, I planned a day hike to Fields Peak and Moore Mountain. 

Fields Peak, a former fire lookout spot, at an elevation of 7,362 feet is the highest point in Oregon between Strawberry Mountain and the Cascades.  Being the highest point in the Aldrich Mountains, it offers fantastic panoramic views of the John Day Valley to the North and the Steens Mountains to the South.  Fields Peak and the greater surrounding area is part of the Malheur National Forest but is an undesignated wilderness area.  

On this trip, I hiked with my friend Christian, and our hike began at the McClellan Mountain Trailhead for a steady 2.3 mile climb to the summit of Fields Peak which gains just slightly over 1,800 feet in elevation.  From Fields Peak however, you can hike the nearby peaks of Moore Mountain, Moon Mountain, McClellan Mountain, and Riley Mountain.  This would make for a fairly long but not too strenuous day of peakbagging and taking in the expansive views.

  From atop Moore Mountain

For our trip, we decided to start at the McClellan Mountain Trailhead and hike west up the trail to Fields Peak.   The first half of the trail is easy to follow since it is used by horses and ATVs.  After approximately 2 miles we reached a junction where we could continue going straight along the trail to Fields Peak or veer right and head over to Moore Mountain.  At this exact point there is a wooden sign post with no name and nothing tacked to it.  We opted for veering right and hiked less than a quarter of a mile to a wooden sign noting we were standing before Moore Mountain. 

From the Moore Mountain sign we continued along the forested trail for approximately another quarter of a mile where we reached the backside of Moore and decided from this point to scramble up to the top.   Moore Mountain at 7,060 feet is essentially a big smooth bump and is not really what you would think of as a “mountain.”  So it is a fun peak to climb because it is completely visible for much of the hike and depending on your physical abilities there is probably no wrong way to scramble up the few hundred feet to the top.  It is not very steep in grade and route finding is easy since it is well above the tree line. 

Fields Peak from Moore Mt.  

After a short break, some photographs, and marveling over the 360 degree views, we made our own trail down the mountain and headed over to Fields Peak from which you can easily spot from the summit of Moore.  From Fields Peak we continued down our original trail and made our way back to the McClellan Mountain Trailhead.

From the trailhead we drove back down the way we came to Billy Fields Campground on Fields Creek Road.  This campground is certainly worth mentioning as it was one of the cleanest and most comfortable campsites I have experienced.  There is no fee to use this campground and there are approximately 6-8 campsites with room for your car and tent.  They each have a fire pit and grill, along with a picnic table.  There is a remarkably clean and new outhouse as well.  Fields Creek runs along the backside of the campground just a few yards away from the camp sites.  It is not much of a picturesque creek as there is a lot of wild brush and trees obscuring most of it, but the ice cold running water is definitely nice to clean up a bit and cool off from the 100 degree heat.

At the time we were there, my friend and I were the only hikers in the area.  However, there was a hunting party with ATVs and horses.  Apparently this is prime hunting territory and Bighorn sheep are in the area as we were close to the Murderers Creek Wildlife Area.  We met a fellow whose 14-year old son drew one of only two Bighorn sheep tags in the state of Oregon.  They, along with a wildlife biologist, picked out a sheep, took him down, and were then spending 6 hours late into the evening hauling the 400 pound sheep down the trail with the help of their horses.  Apparently these hunters were spotting us all day too, as they told us we were in their spotting scopes and they were worried we would scare the sheep away.  I am not much for hunting but we enjoyed talking to them and it made for an interesting story and added to our adventure. 

I would recommend this area as a top hiking and backpacking destination in Oregon because the scenery is unique and interesting due to the varied terrain and geological formations.  In  a relative short distance you go through pine trees, open grass fields, and small scrub and wildflowers; and then it is up a small scramble of one of the many peaks for breathtaking 360-degree views.   Due to the views and the abundant wildlife there is no shortage of opportunities to take photographs.  I can imagine the shots to be had on a day with picturesque white clouds or a thunderstorm approaching.  The drive to Dayville takes you through one of the most scenic Oregon Byways as it meanders through the John Day Fossil Beds.  There are also many scattered old homesteads and barns in the area which are a favorite of mine to photograph.  This is rugged pioneer country and epitomizes what I think of Eastern Oregon.   

To Get There:

From Portland, take Highway 26 east to approximately 13 miles outside of Dayville.  Turn south on Fields Creek Road.  Continue along this well-paved road approximately 8 miles to a sign for Fields Peak and Road 115 where now the road becomes gravel/dirt.  Turn left on this road and go about a quarter of a mile to a “T” in the road.  Now turn right on Road 2160 for 100 yards and then turn left on Road 41.  The road becomes fairly steep and rough so 4-wheel drive is recommended.

Continue along the road for less than a mile until you reach the end of the road.  From here there is a wooden sign which reads “McClellan Trail.”  There is a turnaround and room for cars and horse trailers.  The trailhead sign had nothing posted on it when we were there noting the trails or which direction to go.  While facing the sign, on your right is the trail to McClellan Mountain.  To your left is the trail to Fields Peak which is what we took.  There is plenty of space to find your own camp spot in the surrounding area at the trailhead.  There is no water available so be sure to bring your own supplies and check the weather forecast.