Oregon Foto Guide | Top Hiking & Photography Destinations

While backpacking in the North Fork John Day Wilderness a little while ago, I passed through the Anthony Lakes area and discovered that there are countless miles of trails in the rugged wilderness of the Elkhorn Mountains.  So I decided to return for an overnight backpacking trip to the Anthony Lakes area as the scenery is some of the finest I have seen in Oregon.  I planned a scenic drive from Portland to Anthony Lake and a short trek to Black Lake for an overnight backpacking trip. 

The Anthony Lakes area is an alpine lake wilderness in the Elkhorn Range of the Blue Mountains in Eastern Oregon.  The area contains approximately 15 lakes, including some of the more notable ones: Anthony Lake, Grande Ronde Lake, Mud Lake, Dutch Flat Lake, Lilypad Lake, Hoffer Lakes, and Black Lake.  The Anthony Lakes area offers a wide variety of activities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, mountain climbing, skiing, snow shoeing, and developed and backcountry camping.  The geology and landscape is highly akin to the prominent Wallowa Lake and one of my personal top destinations in Oregon: the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the northeastern portion of Oregon.  With comparable granite craggy peaks and alpine lakes, the Anthony Lakes area is a top destination in Oregon for photography and hiking.  Additionally as the Anthony Lakes area is not quite as far as the Eagle Cap Wilderness, it is more accessible for many in Oregon.

This alpine wonderland created by the Elkhorn Mountains is situated in the central portion of the wide-ranging Blue Mountains that extend from Southeast Washington into neighboring Oregon. The Elkhorn portion runs approximately 23 miles near the Union, Granite, and Baker county lines.  With the Elkhorns being the highest subgroup of the Blue Mountains, most of the higher peaks rise at least 5,000 vertical feet over the floor of Baker Valley.  Rock Creek Butte is noted as the highest point at 9,106 feet.

Traveling to Anthony Lakes is truly a highlight of the trip.  The Elkhorn Scenic Byway encircles the Elkhorn Range and for those who enjoy an excellent drive, the very well-paved and meandering road through the backwoods carries you from the low agricultural elevations up through and to the high subalpine areas of the northern peaks of the mountainous range.  Full of countless photo opportunities, the roads lead you through numerous historical sites of Oregon’s pioneering gold and silver days of the late 1800s with trains, early pioneering ghost towns, and old mines visible from the road.  The byway also leads you to the Anthony Lakes Ski Area which is a small ski resort but boasts fresh powder and the highest base in Oregon.

The short hike to Black Lake begins at the Anthony Lakes Campground, which in turn, is home to the most developed lake in the area, Anthony Lake, at an elevation of 7,140 feet.  The lake is popular for picnicking, swimming, and fishing.  There is a small boat ramp and facilities in the well-developed campground with plenty of tent spaces available.  However, Anthony Lake is by no means a “commercialized” lake.  It is small and remains fairly pristine given its popularity for swimming and fishing. There is an easy one-mile path around the lake which takes you through wildflower meadows and pockets of subalpine firs.  Clearly in view from the lake is Gunsight Mountain at 8,342 feet (the peak has a notch that looks like a gun sight), and there is a more difficult 8.2 mile loop around Gunsight Mountain which gains 1,330 feet of elevation and takes you along the Elkhorn Crest Trail.  As Anthony Lake is often crowded in the summer months, the true jewels are the other lakes scattered throughout the area.  If you have the motivation to hike a few miles, you can escape the sounds and activity at the Anthony Lake Campground and find some solitude. 

As it was rather late in the afternoon when I arrived at Anthony Lake, I decided on a short one-mile backpack to Black Lake to search for a nice spot to set up my tent and enjoy the evening.  The trailhead to Black Lake is well signed and easily spotted near the boat ramp’s turnaround.  The hike is fairly easy, although rocky, as it gains a slight elevation before reaching Black Lake after a mile.  Black Lake has some prime primitive camp sites and there was nobody else camping that evening except for the mosquitoes.  It is a very pretty lake and probably half of the size of Anthony Lake.  Surrounded by firs, wildflower meadows, rocky outcroppings, and a clear view of the back-side of Gunsight Mountain, the lake was a fine destination, especially given its close proximity to Anthony Lake.  As Gunsight Mountain is a focal point of the lake, photographing is best with a sunrise rather than sunset, as in the morning the early sun lights up the back-side of Gunsight Mountain with a soft glow. Trout were frequently jumping in the clean and clear water and there was plenty of wildlife throughout the area.  I would suggest that anyone planning to set up a small tent in the camp spots at Anthony Lake should consider instead a short hike to set up a tent at Black Lake for a much more peaceful wilderness experience. 

I highly recommend a trip to the Anthony Lakes area.  With dense forests, vast areas opened up by recent forest fires, craggy mountain peaks, alpine lakes, and abundant wildlife, it encompasses everything that I look for when photographing and backpacking. Along the way, the drive is spectacular, with countless opportunities to get sidetracked exploring the historical sites in the area.  Plan on visiting the small town of Granite, established by gold miners in the 1860s, where you can stop in at The Outback’s bar to have a beer with the town’s population of 24.  I encourage you to explore Oregon and make your own adventure.

To Get There:

The Anthony Lakes Campground is located on the well-paved Road 73, 35 miles northwest of Baker City, or 17 miles west of North Powder.  It is easy to follow the “Anthony Lakes” signs after taking the North Powder exit 285 from Interstate 84. 

For my trip, I chose an alternate route from Portland, by taking Interstate 26 to John Day and then continued past Prairie City and took easily navigable roads through the small towns of Bates, Sumpter, and Granite.

A Northwest Forest Pass is required (permits can be purchased at the trailhead) to park at the Elkhorn Crest Trailhead.  There are fees for camping at Anthony Lake.