Location: Junctions of Interstate 84, US Route 30 and Oregon Route 86 (start of the Hell’s Canyon Scenic Byway). Population: 9800. Visitor Information: Baker County Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau, 490 Campbell St. Baker City, OR 97814; Phone: (541) 523-5855; Toll-free: (888) 523-5855; Website: www.visitbaker.com
Pioneer spirit and a sense of adventure still thrive in Baker City. Visitors to the area can enjoy serene mountain hikes, white water rafting on the nearby Snake River, viewing the deepest river-carved gorge in North America at Hell’s Canyon, skiing at Anthony Lakes or taking a horse drawn elk feeding tour. Golfing, fishing, biking and birding are popular activities. Take a trolley to the historic downtown district, visit the Carnegie Arts Center or enjoy terrific restaurants, national award winning brew pub, and one of a kind shopping.
The 33,000 square foot Baker Heritage Museum displays and interprets the rich history of the region with exhibits of mining, timber, ranching, agriculture, early Baker City life, Chinese culture and wildlife.
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center brings to life aspects of the Oregon Trail experience through living history demonstrations, interpretive programs, exhibitions and special events. In addition to an outdoor pioneer wagon encampment and exhibit galleries that transport visitors along the 2,000 mile journey of the Oregon Trail, the Center’s Leo Adler Theater provides an intimate venue for living history presentations and other educational programs.
Four miles of accessible hiking trails provide scenic vistas of the Blue Mountains, Wallowa Mountains, Baker Valley and Virtue Flat, where the original route of the Oregon Trail can be clearly seen. Visitors may take one of the hiking trails down to the Trail, and walk in the actual ruts made by the pioneers. Your visit to Oregon will not be complete without a stop at this 500-acre jewel of the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System.
Baker City hosts many annual festivals, including the Miners' Jubilee on the third weekend of July, celebrating the mining history of the area.
