Spring Through Fall

If you're interested in bird-watching, head out to the Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area, 59116 Pierce Rd. (tel. 541/963-4954), 5 miles south of La Grande off I-84 at the Foothill Road exit (exit 268). March through May, the refuge has lots of waterfowl, and in summer, the wetland is home to sandhill cranes, geese, ducks, avocets, black-necked stilts, and numerous raptors. Also keep an eye out for elk. The best way to visit this area is by walking the 1.3-mile nature trail east of I-84 near exit 268.

The hot springs of this region have been attracting people since long before the first white settlers arrived, and you can still soak your sore muscles in thermal waters at Lehman Hot Springs (tel. 541/427-3015), which is in a remote forested setting near Ukiah, 38 miles west of La Grande on Ore. 244. Here you'll find a large hot swimming pool, perfect for an afternoon of lounging around. There are also two smaller and hotter soaking pools, as well as an unheated swimming pool. Also on the premises are campsites and some rustic accommodations, and nearby there are hiking, mountain-biking, cross-country-ski, and snowmobiling trails. In summer, the springs are open Wednesday through Friday from 10am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 8pm. (Call for hours the rest of the year.) Admission is $7.

In summer, there are plenty of nearby trails for hiking or mountain biking. My favorite trails are those that radiate out from Anthony Lake, high in the Elkhorn Mountains 45 minutes from Baker City. These trails start at an elevation of over 7,000 feet and meander through open forests with views of craggy granite peaks. The 8-mile loop hike from Anthony Lake up the Elkhorn Crest Trail to Dutch Flat Saddle and back to Anthony Lake via Crawfish Basin Trail makes good day hike. By the way, the campground at Anthony Lake might just be my favorite campground in the state. Contact the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, La Grande Ranger District, 3502 Ore. 30, La Grande, OR 97850 (tel. 541/963-7186), or Baker Ranger District, 3165 10th St., Baker City, OR 97814 (tel. 541/523-4476), for more information.

If you happen to have your golf clubs with you, play a round at Union's Buffalo Peak Golf Course, 1224 E. Fulton St. (tel. 866/202-5950 or 541/562-5527), a scenic and challenging 18-hole course on the outskirts of Union. Greens fees run $25 to $29 for 18 holes.

Winter Sports & Activities

With the highest base elevation and the most powderlike snow in the state, Ski Anthony Lakes (tel. 541/856-3277), 45 minutes west of Baker City, is a good little ski area -- small, but with a nice variety of terrain. Daily lift tickets are $32. You'll also find good groomed cross-country ski trails here, and the area is very popular with snowmobilers.

Winter is also the best time of year to see some of the region's Rocky Mountain elk. Each year December through February, the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife feeds a large herd of elk at the Elkhorn Wildlife Area, 61846 Powder River Lane (tel. 541/898-2826), in North Powder, about halfway between La Grande and Baker City. You can usually see between 150 and 200 elk. During the Christmas holidays, T and T Tours (tel. 541/856-3356) takes visitors out to the feeding area by horse-drawn wagon. Tours last about a half-hour and cost $6 for adults and $4 for children. To reach Elkhorn, take exit 285 off I-84 and follow the WILDLIFE VIEWING signs.