Eagle Cap Lakes Basin via the West Fork Wallowa River

Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (Wallowa Lake Trailhead, south of Joseph)

The Lakes Basin is the busiest corner of Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness: a cluster of granite-rimmed lakes below Eagle Cap peak in the Wallowa Mountains. The classic way in from the east starts at the end of the road past Wallowa Lake and climbs the West Fork of the Wallowa River.

This page follows The Outbound’s lollipop: up the West Fork, through the Lakes Basin, over Glacier Pass, and back down past Frazier Lake. Plan on four days, as that guide’s author did.

The hike

The Wallowa Lake Trailhead sits at about 4,645 feet at the end of Highway 82, south of Joseph. The West Fork Wallowa River Trail climbs steadily through forest. At about 2.5 miles you pass the junction for Ice Lake (see Ice Lake and the Matterhorn for that side trip).

The City of Joseph’s trail guide puts Six Mile Meadow 6 miles up, with about 1,450 feet of gain. Here the route splits. To reach the Lakes Basin, cross the footbridge onto Trail #1810 and climb about 2.5 miles, with about 1,400 feet of gain and steep sections, to Horseshoe Lake. The city calls this the more popular route into the basin.

Within about 5 miles, The Outbound says, you pass Horseshoe, Lee, Douglas, Crescent, Moccasin, and Mirror Lakes. From Mirror Lake, a side trip on the East Eagle Trail climbs Eagle Cap itself (9,572 feet). The Outbound says the summit puts total gain at roughly 5,000 feet from the trailhead.

The loop continues on the pack trail over Glacier Pass to Glacier Lake, which The Outbound describes as a good place to camp and to explore nearby Prospect Lake. From there it’s about 2.5 miles down to Frazier Lake, then about 7 miles north on the West Fork trail to Six Mile Meadow and roughly 6 more back to the car. The Outbound counts about 13 miles from Glacier Lake to the trailhead.

CleverHiker, which covers a longer 36-mile loop over Polaris Pass using some of the same trail, recommends late July through September. It notes that snow can linger into July in some years and that early-season storms can shut the high country in fall. Mosquitoes are worst in July and August, and mid-August through September is quieter. The guide also warns that mica in the water clogs filters fast, so carry a backup like purification tablets.

Signage can be confusing, CleverHiker says, so carry a detailed map. For a different entry to the same lakes from the Lostine side, see the Two Pan loop to Minam and Mirror Lakes. For a mountain backpack on the Idaho side of Hells Canyon, see the Seven Devils Loop.

Tips

Fill out a wilderness permit at the trailhead box. It’s free and self-issued.
Keep Lakes Basin groups small. Camping in the Lakes Basin Management Area is limited to 6 people and 9 head of stock.
Bring a stove. Campfires are banned within a quarter mile of the main Lakes Basin lakes.
Carry backup water treatment; CleverHiker says mica clogs filters.
Go midweek if you can; The Outbound and CleverHiker both note crowds.

Camping

Camping is dispersed. The Forest Service’s Eagle Cap Wilderness order (06-16-05-25-01, in effect through April 10, 2027) requires a permit and bans camping within 100 feet of any lake or posted wetland. Campfires and wood stoves are banned within 100 feet of any lake and within a quarter mile of Blue, Frazier, Glacier, Ice, Little Frazier, Mirror, Moccasin, Prospect, Sunshine, and Upper Lakes in the Lakes Basin. Groups are capped at 12 people and 18 head of stock wilderness-wide, and at 6 people and 9 stock for camping inside the Lakes Basin Management Area. Gear can’t be left more than 72 hours, and posted restoration sites are off-limits.

CleverHiker says there is no food-storage requirement but recommends a bear canister, Ursack, or hang, noting that black bears are uncommon and smaller critters are the usual problem.

Inside Intel: The Outbound’s author, Dan Loch, recommends Horseshoe Lake as the first alpine campsite and a possible basecamp for exploring the basin. CleverHiker says Glacier Lake’s campsites are “in high demand” and that Moccasin Lake has several popular sites.

Trail facts

Distance: About 33 miles as a lollipop (The Outbound); 36 miles for CleverHiker’s longer loop over Polaris Pass
Route type: Lollipop loop
Difficulty: Strenuous
Campsites: Dispersed; Horseshoe Lake (about 8.5 miles), Moccasin and Mirror Lakes, Glacier Lake, Frazier Lake area
Water: Plentiful from lakes and streams; treat it, and bring a backup for clogged filters
Permits: Free, self-issued wilderness permit at the trailhead
Fires: Banned within a quarter mile of listed Lakes Basin lakes and within 100 feet of any lake
Group size: 12 people / 18 stock; 6 people / 9 stock when camping in the Lakes Basin
Trailhead: Wallowa Lake Trailhead, end of Highway 82 south of Joseph
Last verified: October 12, 2026

The Lowdown

No campfire at Moccasin Lake:

Fires are banned within a quarter mile of Moccasin, Mirror, and the other big Lakes Basin lakes, so dinner comes from the stove. See which backpacking meals testers keep reordering.

See the picks →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.