Recreation area

East Fork Canyon Creek Trailhead

Malheur National Forest · Oregon — managed by USDA Forest Service

First-come, first-served — no online reservations

About this campground

This trail provides access to East Fork Canyon Creek Trail #211 which accesses Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. There is plenty of room for parking and undeveloped camping at this site. It includes a 6 horse tie-stall with manger, unloading ramp, and hitch rail. Stock water is located 1/2 a mile down the trail on the East Fork of Canyon Creek. This trail accesses the Canyon Creek Natural Area -- a unique park like stand of old growth ponderosa pine within Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. This trail offers both low and high elevation life zones to explore.  The first 1/2 mile of the trail heads slightly downhill across some rocky areas.  The rest of the trail has a fairly gentle grade, and it is not very rocky; it is mostly dirt and pine needle surface.  There is a wide variety of campsites along this trail.  The trail passes through magnificent old growth Ponderosa Pine, Grand Fir and Western Larch (Tamarack) also take note of the Alder, Sedges and other wetland plants.  There are some interesting wet meadows in the first couple of miles of the trail. East Fork Canyon Creek offers good native cutthroat trout fishing.

Getting there

From John Day, OR., drive south on US Highway 395 to County Road 65. Follow County Road 65 approximately 4 miles to the junction with Forest Service Road 6510. Follow Forest Service Road 6510 to Forest Service Road 812. Drive east on Forest Service Road 812 to the trailhead at the end of the road.

Activities

  • HIKING
  • HORSE CAMPING

Explore more Oregon camping

East Fork Canyon Creek Trailhead doesn't take campsite reservations — but plenty of nearby Oregon campgrounds do, and we'll alert you the moment a sold-out site opens up.

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Details from Recreation.gov's official RIDB catalog. Conditions change — confirm with the managing office before you go. Not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.