Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River

The Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River originates in the North Fork John Day Wilderness southwest of Columbia Hill near 7300 feet. After leaving the Baldy Unit of the North Fork John Day Wilderness it flows along the Elkhorn Drive Scenic Byway, and then back into the larger section of the North Fork John Day Wilderness on the Umatilla National Forest. The entire river is 54.1 miles long.

Designation

The Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River was congressionally designated in 1988 under the Oregon Omnibus Rivers Act (P.L. 100-557). A total of 27.8 miles was designated as 'wild', 10.5 miles as 'scenic', and 15.8 miles as 'recreation' river. (On the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest there are 3.5 miles of 'wild' river, and 6.9 miles of  'recreation' river). Current management of the river is directed with the 1993 North Fork John Day River Wild and Scenic River Management Plan. The river plan identified outstandingly remarkable values for the river as; scenery, recreation, fisheries, wildlife, and historical.

Main Recreation and Access Points

Some of the main recreation sites and access points along the river include:

Peavy Cabin
Baldy Creek Trailhead
North Fork John Day Campground on the Umatilla National Forest

Location

North Fork John Day River is located on the western side of the North Fork John Day Wilderness, and is 54 miles from Baker City, Oregon, and 49 miles from La Grande, Oregon.

River Management

The Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River is managed by the following management plan and associated documents;
 

1993 North Fork John Day River Wild and Scenic River Management Plan

• River Management Plan (704 KB)
• Appendix A - Glossary of Terms (205 KB)
• Appendix B -Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (463 KB)
• Appendix C - Resource Assessment (362 KB)
• Appendix D - Evaluation Procedures (481 KB)
• Appendix E - Corridor Map (77 KB)
• Appendix F - State Scenic Waterway Program (2.06 MB)

Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact, North Fork John Day River Wild and Scenic River Management Plan; Forest Plan Amendment No.8. (199 KB)

For More Information

More information about the Wild and Scenic North Fork John Day River can be found at the national wild and scenic river website.