Guided Nature Tours and Field Trips with WMI
Wallowa Mountain Institute’s Field Trips connect you with Wallowa County’s amazingly diverse
landscapes, abundant wildlife, and rural lifestyles. Our outings highlight the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage while also focusing on the working landscape:
embracing land management practices that lead to roles as stewards of this precious place. We offer a summer full of active, educational
day trips led by our team of naturalist guides. And we offer several
multi-day excursions in partnership with The Nature Conservancy,
and Exploritas (formerly Elderhostel, through Southern Oregon University).
Northeast Oregon’s Wallowa County is home to…
. . .Hells Canyon, North America’s deepest river-cut gorge. Hike to the edge of the Snake River, famous for its rugged beauty, towering basalt cliffs, and world class white-water rafting. Or take in the expansive views from the canyon rim, more than a mile above the river. Retrace the history of the hearty souls who have called this canyon home, from Nez Perce Indians to modern day ranchers.
"For me, this trip was a new awakening to geography, geology, and especially the Nez Perce. A deeply emotional experience. I will recommend this program to my friends."- Elderhostel participant
. . .Eagle Cap Wilderness, the largest Wilderness area in Oregon. Massive granite peaks and lake-filled basins dominate the glacially-carved upper reaches of the range. Deer, elk, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, cougar, black bear, even wolves roam these spectacular mountains. A full vertical mile below, the mixed conifer forest gives way to the lush Wallowa Valley.
. . .Zumwalt Prairie, home to a spectacularly diverse array of raptor species . Discover a prairie ecosystem teaming with endemic and threatened plant species, several grassland songbird species, and a variety of charismatic mammals, including elk, bobcat, and bighorn sheep. The Zumwalt Prairie is the largest intact bunchgrass prairie in North America.
. . .Wallowa Lake, at the foot of the The Eagle Cap Wilderness and the Wallowa Mountains. One of the best examples of a glacially carved lake in the contiguous 48 states, Wallowa Lake is a playground for locals and visitors alike. Witness an amazing variety of water fowl, as well as bald eagles and osprey, which come to feed on the lake’s Kokanee salmon and lake trout.
. . .A relaxed rural lifestyle, and a community rich in tradition and character. Fourth generation ranchers tend to their livestock; local artisans craft bronze sculptures that are displayed worldwide; and the Nez Perce, original inhabitants of this region, celebrate their heritage during Tamkaliks Celebration in Wallowa each July.
WMI operates under special use permit within the Wallowa Whitman National Forest