Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Oregon / Eastern Oregon

Elkhorn Crest Trail (Marble Pass to Anthony Lakes)

Elkhorn Mountains, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and North Fork John Day Wilderness (west of Baker City)

The Elkhorn Crest Trail follows the spine of the Elkhorn Mountains between Marble Pass and Anthony Lakes. The Forest Service calls it a National Recreation Trail with views of Baker Valley, the Wallowas, and the Blue Mountains, passing six high lakes and moving in and out of the North Fork John Day Wilderness.

It’s a summer-and-fall ridge walk with little water on the crest. Read the notice above first: the trail was closed by fire in fall 2026.

The hike

Backpacker’s Erik Olson says most hikers go south to north, from Marble Pass to Anthony Lakes, and describes 22 to 27 miles depending on detours. The Mountaineers puts the south trailhead at about 7,530 feet and the north at 7,160, with about 5,500 feet of total gain and a high point of 8,380 feet at Rock Creek Butte. Both trailheads need planning: Forest Road 6510 to Marble Pass is, in the Forest Service’s words, “very rough, steep and narrow,” and high-clearance four-wheel drive is strongly recommended.

From Marble Pass, Olson describes a 1.25-mile descent to Twin Lakes about 4 miles in, a popular camp. The Mountaineers names Rock Creek Butte, Elkhorn Peak, and Rock Creek Lake along the next stretch; Olson notes that Rock Creek Lake means dropping into its basin. Summit Lake comes at about 10 miles, with the turnoff marked by a cairn, and The Mountaineers calls it a good midpoint for a 20-mile out-and-back.

North of Summit Lake, Olson describes a steep, “mentally challenging” traverse across an avalanche zone near Lost Lake, which sits about 4.5 miles from Anthony Lakes. Dutch Flat Lake is on a side trail near the north end. From Anthony Lakes, the Forest Service says, the first 2 miles of trail climb about 1,000 feet; the rest levels toward Marble Pass. Bikes are allowed only to the wilderness boundary near Angell Peak on the north end and near Cracker Saddle from the south.

The Mountaineers suggests July through October, with wildflowers peaking in July. Olson warns of full exposure to sun, wind, and sudden weather, early-summer mosquitoes at the lakes, and sparse signage, so carry a map or offline navigation. He also mentions mountain goats grazing near camp and a game warden telling his daughter, “there are wolves out here.”

For another high-lake trip in northeast Oregon, see the Lakes Basin in the Eagle Cap Wilderness.

Tips

Camping

Camping is dispersed. Most backpackers camp at the lakes below the crest. The Mountaineers describes a typical three-day, two-night trip camping at Twin Lakes and Summit Lake and lists a maximum party size of 12. Inside the North Fork John Day Wilderness, wilderness rules apply, and the Forest Service prohibits motorized and mechanized equipment there.

The Wallowa-Whitman’s Phase A fire restrictions run July 10 to Oct. 31, 2026, unless rescinded. Olson rates black bears rare but present and suggests a bear canister or a hang.

Inside Intel: Olson wrote that he camped beside remote, unnamed lakes with no one else around, and woke one morning to about a dozen mountain goats surrounding his tent. The Mountaineers advises bringing gear into your tent near Twin Lakes because of goats.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

The avalanche-zone traverse near Lost Lake:

North of Summit Lake, one writer describes a steep, mentally challenging traverse near Lost Lake, and reaching Twin Lakes means a 1.25-mile descent. See how to set your poles for ups and downs like these.

Get the trekking pole tips →

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.