Whitman Ranger District - Baker

The Whitman District, on the south end of the Forest, is co-located with the Baker Resource Area of the BLM in Baker City. An office is staffed in Halfway and a workstation is maintained in Unity. Union Creek Campground at Phillips Lake is one of the largest forest service campgrounds in the region. The Elkhorn Scenic Byway and the south entrance to the Hells Canyon All American Road are on the district. Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort provides downhill and cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and other winter recreation. 60 miles of OHV trail are located near Unity. The district has several cabin rentals and 30 recreation fee residences. The district manages over 2,500 active mining claims. 

 

Overall, the recreation potential on the District is outstanding. The resource is extremely diverse, offering nearly all types of recreation with the exception of white water rafting. 

Resource Information

• Total Unit Acres: 302,590
• Total Wilderness Acres: 14,294
• Total Backcountry Acres: 54,120.5
• # of Developed Campgrounds: 9
• # of Other Developed Sites: 7
• # of Developed Trailheads: 10
• # of Snoparks: 2
• Miles of Trails: 116
• Miles of Winter Trails: 124
• Approximate # of Dispersed Sites: 200+
• Wild and Scenic Rivers:  North Fork John Day, North Powder

The Area

 

 

Recreation

Developed Campgrounds

This part of the Whitman Ranger District provides a wide variety of camping experiences and levels in two distinct areas: the Sumpter Valley area and the Anthony Lakes area. There are five campgrounds in the Sumpter Valley, ranging from rustic in nature to one level 5 urban setting campground called Union Creek. Union Creek Campground on Phillips Lake offers 67 units (with 24 units having full RV hookups), flush toilets, picnic area, swimming area, a large boat launch facility, fish cleaning station, telephones, and other amenities. Union Creek is operated under a concession special use permit. The Anthony Lakes area encompasses four other campgrounds that provide for climatic relief from the Baker Valley. Recently, four campsites within Grande Ronde Lake Campground were renovated to accommodate larger recreational vehicles and to make them more accessible. 

Other Developed Sites

Other developed sites on the district include a wide variety of experiences ranging from picnic areas, boat launches, observation points and overlooks, to recreation residences.

Spectacular views and hidden lakes are some of the drawing cards of the 22.5 mile Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail. Following the ridge-top of the Elkhorn Range for much of its length, the trail passes through an area of the North Fork John Day Wilderness.

The Elkhorn Drive National Forest Scenic Byway was designated on June 5, 1989. This loop byway offers a variety of scenery, access to many historical sites, and extensive recreational opportunities.

There are 24 recreation cabins under special use authorizations in the Anthony Lakes Recreation Residence tract.

Peavy Cabin is available in the cabin rental program and provides a rustic log cabin experience. There are many opportunities for day hiking, horseback riding, and fishing, as well as cross-country skiing and snowmobiling in the winter.

The Powder River Accessible Fishing project offers physically- challenged individuals a unique river fishing experience by providing a barrier-free trail system. Fishing platforms are soon to be installed on this two-mile stretch of the Powder River. 

Trails and Trailheads

There are over 100 miles of trail in this area, including over 20 miles of trail in the Baldy Unit of the North Fork John Day Wilderness. The Elkhorn Crest National Recreation Trail can be accessed form several points with many connector trails creating a diverse trail system. Many of the trails enter the wilderness thus not allowing loop trails for motorized use. Many of the trails are old packer routes and are not in good locations, and many are in need of heavy maintenance or relocation. The view afforded from many of the trails are spectacular, but access to many of the trailheads is limited to 4x4 only. 

Dispersed Recreation

The dispersed recreation program on the district is very diverse, ranging from mushroom gathering, wood gathering, camping, berrypicking, fishing, backpacking, and horse use. The most impact to the dispersed program occurs during the big game hunting seasons, including bowhunting season.

The Baldy Unit of the North Fork John Day Wilderness provides opportunities for semi-primitive experiences. The small size of the wilderness provides many opportunities for a wilderness day use experience. Some of the smaller lakes located near the perimeter of the wilderness are experiencing overuse.

The North Fork of the John Day River became a National Wild and Scenic River in 1988. Scenery, geology, heritage resources, recreational opportunities, and wildlife are the outstanding attributes of this river. The North Powder River also was designated as a Wild and Scenic River for many of the same attributes.

Recreational gold panning and dredging are allowed in several locations on the District.

Winter Recreation

The Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort provides for downhill and cross-country skiing, as well as catering to snowmobilers and other winter recreationists. The resort has recently proposed adding an RV park, overnight accommodations, and development of the Big Bert lift and associated ski runs on the backside of the present area. The area offers approximately 10K of groomed cross-country skiing trails on six individual trails. The Phillips Lake system offers up to 16K of ungroomed cross-country trails on four interconnecting trails.

There are over 100 miles of groomed snowmobile trails in the Whitman Ranger District. These snowmobile trails are groomed and maintained by Oregon State Snowmobile Association. There are abundant opportunities to explore on ungroomed trails. 

Click here to see the most current recreation reports.

Contact the district

1550 Dewey Ave. Suite A
Baker City, OR 97814
(541) 523-6391