Last updated on June 7th, 2026
Ready to explore the underrated side of Oregon? We’re sharing the ultimate 8 day Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary!
When you think of Oregon, you likely think of the dramatic and rocky Oregon Coast, the quirky and delicious city of Portland, the stunning Cascades, or the seemingly endless waterfalls. And while these Western Oregon spots get a lot of love (and rightfully so, they’re pretty incredible!), don’t overlook the east side of the state!
Eastern Oregon may not have as many iconic sights as you can find out west, but trust us, this region has a lot to offer! Here you can find small towns, dramatic desert scenery, painted hills, and mountains and lakes that rival the western side of the state. Oh, and some of the best milkshakes around!
We spent a couple weeks road tripping around Eastern Oregon and wish we had ventured east of the Cascades sooner. And if you want to experience this often overlooked part of the state for yourself, we’re sharing the ultimate Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary, based on our experience!
- About this Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary
- Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary at a glance
- Day 1: Leslie Gulch
- Day 2: Hot Springs & the Alvord Desert
- Day 3: Driving day
- Day 4: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
- Day 5: Driving day
- Days 6-8: Explore the Wallowa Mountains
- Important things to know before your Eastern Oregon road trip
- What to bring for your Eastern Oregon road trip
About this Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary
In this Eastern Oregon road trip you’ll tackle just over 700 miles and 14 hours of driving, seeing a wide variety of scenery along the way. Some days you’ll be walking on top of a dried lakebed, soaking in hot springs, hiking to an alpine lake, or seeing colorful terrain, while other days you may be spending more time in the car, driving to the next destination. But don’t worry, we include some fun stops to make along the way!
However, before we dive into the itinerary, here are some important things to know as you plan your Eastern Oregon road trip.
Where to start & end your Eastern Oregon road trip
Eastern Oregon is a bit remote, with no major towns or airports to fly into. If you plan to fly to Eastern Oregon, the best airport is actually the Boise Airport in Idaho. Boise is just over 2 hours from the starting point of this road trip, Leslie Gulch, and just under 4 hours from the endpoint of Joseph.
When is the best time to do this Eastern Oregon road trip?
While you technically could do this road trip year-round, some areas, like the Wallowa Mountains, do get a lot of snow. And the summers can also be pretty hot, especially in the desert.
So we recommend doing this Eastern Oregon road trip in the late spring (late May-mid June) or early fall (early September-early October). This will give you more mild weather, plus the chance to do most activities on this list without snow.
However, if hiking or backpacking in the mountains is your top priority, we’d suggest going in June, September, or embracing the heat and going in the middle of summer.
We personally did this road trip in late May-very early June and it was too snowy for us to do any higher elevation hikes. But the lower elevation areas were perfect!
What type of vehicle is needed for this Eastern Oregon road trip?
A good chunk of the areas on this Eastern Oregon road trip are doable in any vehicle. However, Leslie Gulch requires a higher clearance vehicle, as there are some dips that could scrape a low sedan. There’s also a decent amount of gravel driving, which will be more comfortable in a higher clearance rig with solid tires. 4×4 isn’t required, but if it has been rainy, it may be helpful on some roads.
Don’t have a higher clearance vehicle? You can still do most of the stops on this list! We’d just suggest skipping Leslie Gulch. Or only going in part of the way!
Where to stay along this Eastern Oregon road trip
Since this Eastern Oregon road trip is very spread out, you will be spending the night in multiple places along the way. And while many of the destinations have traditional lodging options, some only offer camping. So in our opinion, this road trip is best done if you’re tent camping or in a van/RV. There are both free and paid camping options near most of these stops!
We will be listing where to stay under each day of the itinerary. And when there are traditional lodging options, we will make sure to list them as well!
Want to Learn More as you explore?
We highly suggest downloading the Guide Along – Oregon Coast (totally worth the cost!!) audio tours to navigate you on the road. Even when you don’t have service it knows where you are and provides commentary and history about the area. As well as alerts you when to stop for specific sights. These guides are fun to listen to and the narrator feels like a fun friend in the car with you!
Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary at a glance
Click any of the days below to skip ahead to that part of the itinerary!
Day 1: Leslie Gulch
Day 2: Willow Creek Hot Springs & Alvord Desert
Day 3: Driving day
Day 4: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Day 5: Drive to Joseph
Days 6-8: Explore the Wallowa Mountains
Day 1: Leslie Gulch
For the first day of this Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary, you’re heading to Leslie Gulch! Located in the Owyhee Canyonlands, this gulch is filled with dramatic rocky spires, rugged terrain, and rolling hills. It is unlike anywhere we’ve ever been!
If you’re coming from the Boise area, you’ll have just over a 2 hour drive (with many miles of unpaved roads), which still gives you plenty of time to explore.
Itinerary
Once arriving in Leslie Gulch we suggest doing the following:
- Driving the scenic road through the canyon, which winds through the rock spires. Once you reach Dago Gulch, the road conditions get worse. So if your car is unable to go further, we suggest parking here and walking/biking the road a bit.
- Go for a hike! There are a handful to choose from, but we suggest hiking the Juniper Gulch Trail. It’s very steep at the end, with loose dirt, plus a bit hard to follow at times, so make sure to download the offline AllTrails map.
- Continue down the road through the gulch and grab a campsite at the Slocum Creek Campground.
- Spend the rest of the afternoon fishing, swimming, or just enjoying the scenery at the Owyhee Reservoir. This reservoir is located along the Owyhee River and is named after 3 Hawaiians who were dispatched from a fur trapping company in 1819 to explore the river. They unfortunately either got lost or killed, so many began to refer to the river and surrounding area as “Owyhee,” which is an older phonetic and English spelling of Hawaii, in honor of them.
To get a better idea of the road conditions in Leslie Gulch, plus more insight into things to do, check out our detailed guide to visiting Leslie Gulch. Also, we recommend airing down your tires for a smoother ride. Check out our packing list at the end of this guide for the products we use to do this!
Where to stay
Leslie Gulch is very remote, with no towns nearby. So the only option for lodging when visiting Leslie Gulch is to camp at the Slocum Creek Campground. This is a FREE, first-come, first-served campground with 9 campsites, located just a short walk from the Owyhee Reservoir. Each campsite has a covered picnic table and fire ring, plus there is a pit toilet on site.
If this is full, there is an overflow parking lot just across the road from the campground that you are allowed to stay at.
Day 2: Hot Springs & the Alvord Desert
Did you know that 50% of Oregon is desert? Today you’ll be heading to the Alvord Desert, a 7 mile wide and 12 mile long dry lakebed (or playa) where tens of thousands of years ago a lake almost 200 feet deep once stood. Today, it only gets about 7 inches of rain per year, making it one of the driest places in Oregon!
Itinerary
- Your total driving time today is 4 hours, so we suggest leaving Leslie Gulch early to give yourself enough time.
- Once leaving Leslie Gulch, you will want to head towards the tiny town of Jordan Valley. Here you’ll find the only gas station for about 120 miles, so make sure to fuel up!
- On your way to the Alvord Desert, stop by the Willow Creek Hot Springs! Located down a long, bumpy, unpaved road, these hot springs are pretty remote. But don’t expect complete solitude! There is a free camping area here (which we recommend if you want to extend your road trip), so you’ll likely encounter others. You should be able to get a window to soak on your own, though! If an afternoon soak sounds a bit hot for you, there is another hot spring option we will share below.
- Next up, head to Fields to grab a milkshake at the Fields Station General Store! These handspun milkshakes are delicious and there are tons of flavor combinations to choose from. There is a $10 credit card minimum, so make sure to bring some cash if you don’t plan to buy more than one milkshake. This is also your next best option for fueling up!
- And now it’s time to visit the Alvord Desert! You can access the desert from a couple spots, including Frog Springs and the Alvord Hot Springs, which both require driving down an unpaved road. Frog Springs is FREE and our recommendation, but if you decide to camp at Alvord Hot Springs, the access fee is included in your camping fee. At either spot, you’re able to walk out or drive out onto the playa. However, this is only safe and doable if it is DRY, which is typically from July-November.
To learn more about the Alvord Desert, including how to visit, other things to do nearby, and some safety tips, check out our detailed guide to visiting the Alvord Desert.
Where to stay
For this evening, you have a few options. Our top pick is to camp at the Frog Springs area, which is free! You can either camp out on the playa or you can camp over in this spot, which overlooks the desert. Just make sure the playa is dry! During our visit, there was water on the playa, but quite a few dry areas. However, overnight the water moved and covered up all of the dry spots. The people camping out there had an interesting surprise in the morning!
Another option for camping is the Alvord Hot Springs, which offers campsites and bunkhouses. They also have a hot spring on site, so if the afternoon soak at Willow Creek Hot Springs wasn’t super appealing, it may be worth staying here so you can soak in their hot spring. This is included in the lodging fee, which also includes access to the playa from their property.
Lastly, you can also stay at the Fields Station General Store, which has RV sites, hotel rooms, and cabins.
Day 3: Driving day
The next stop on this Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary is the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, which is home to the richest fossil beds in Oregon! Plus some other colorful geologic features. This park has three units: Painted Hills, Sheep Rock, and Clarno, which are spread out across Central and Eastern Oregon. And tomorrow you’ll explore two of them!
To get there from the Alvord Desert it’s a bit of a trek (~5 hours), so we suggest spending today focusing on the drive. It’s a beautiful drive, with mountain views, a cool canyon, and more! If you have time along the way, here are some fun stops you could make:
Stops to make
- Visit Frenchglen, a teeny tiny town located along Highway 205. While there isn’t much there, check out the Frenchglen Mercantile, a charming general store with a coffee shop.
- Drive up Steens Mountain. Steens Mountain is the striking 9,378 foot tall mountain that overlooks the Alvord Desert. And depending on the time of year, you can drive the Steens Loop Tour, which will take you almost to its summit, with different viewpoints and hikes along the way. We really want to hike to Wildhorse Lake!
- Stop in Burns for any provisions. This will be your best grocery store for a while!
- Visit the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. This historic site in John Day shares the history of the area’s Chinese immigrants back in the 1800s. Make sure to check their hours in advance, as they can be limited. And to best experience it, call ahead and book a tour.
- Drive through Picture Gorge, a stunning canyon that seemingly pops out of nowhere! If you’re heading to the Painted Hills area to camp, this will be along the way. You can also detour to the Mascall Overlook along the way!
A+K Tip: When leaving the Alvord Desert, Google Maps will try to take you north up to Highway 78. The majority of this road is unpaved, which will make it a bit of a long and bumpy ride. Instead, we suggest going south back down to Fields and taking Highway 205. It adds a little bit of time, but you will have more paved roads.
Where to stay
Tonight we suggest staying as close to the Painted Hills as possible. And the best way to do this is to camp! There are no campgrounds inside the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, but there are some free camping options nearby.
During our visit, we stayed at the Burnt Ranch Road Dispersed Camping just south of the park. It can fit around 15 campers or so and even on the weekend it was never full. There is zero cell service, but many of the spots have wide open views for Starlink.
Besides this spot, you can also camp for free just outside the park boundary at this open area. Just be mindful that shortly after this, the road turns to private property. There are also some camping options down by the John Day River, including the Priest Hole Recreation Site.
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, we suggest staying in John Day at the Best Western John Day Inn. This will make today’s drive shorter, but will add on extra driving tomorrow.
Day 4: John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
Today you’ll be exploring two units of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, the Painted Hills and Sheep Rock!
The Painted Hills are one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon and are known for their colorful bands of gold, black, and red volcanic ash. And the colors tell the story of different climates over millions of years. The red hues are due to warmer, wetter periods, while cooler and drier periods created a yellow hue.
And the Sheep Rock unit is known for its expansive collection of fossils, plus impressive rock formations. Including some with a blue-green hue! Together, both units make for a fun and unique way to spend the day.
Note: The road to the Painted Hills turns to gravel once you turn into the park. But it’s well maintained and doable in any vehicle! To learn more about visiting this area of the park, check out our complete guide to the Painted Hills.
Itinerary
- Start the morning by heading to the Painted Hills Unit. We recommend arriving early to beat the heat! For your first stop, see the Painted Hills from above at the Painted Hills Overlook. Alternatively, you could also hike to the Carroll Rim Trail (or do both!), which has an even higher up view, but requires a steep hike.
- Next, walk the boardwalks on the Painted Cove Trail. This will take you right up next to and between some vibrant red mounds. It’s short, but packs a big punch!
- Lastly, head to the Red Scar Knoll Trail, which takes you past some much larger red Painted Hills.
- Then, it’s time to head to the Sheep Rock Unit! We suggest visiting the Thomas Condon Visitor Center (closed Tuesday and Wednesday), which is named after Oregon’s first state geologist and the first person to identify this region as a world class paleontological site. Inside you can find over 500 fossil specimens, colorful scientific murals, and even a paleontology lab!
- While near the Visitor Center, hike the Sheep Rock Overlook Trail, which gives you a great view of the unit’s namesake, Sheep Rock, plus the John Day River below.
- And to end your day, hike the Island in Time Trail in the Blue Basin. This area is known for its badlands with blue and green hues, which gets its color from volcanic ash that is rich in celadonite.
- After a fun day exploring the park, head to your lodging for the night. We’re sharing some suggestions below!
Where to stay
Figuring out where to stay this evening is a bit trickier, as nearby larger towns are a bit far away. If you want to stay in a hotel, we’d recommend making the hour drive back to John Day.
But for those camping, you have a couple options. Just north of the Blue Basin area, near the town of Kimberly, are two riverside BLM campgrounds: Lone Pine Campground ($8/night) and Big Bend Campground ($5/night). They are both first-come, first-served and you pay via an envelope, so make sure to have cash! You can also find paid camping in John Day and Mount Vernon.
Day 5: Driving day
Today the goal is to get to Joseph, Oregon. And depending on where you stayed last night, you’ll have anywhere from a 3.5-4 hour drive to get there. But instead of rushing, we suggest enjoying some of the sights along the way. Here are some of our top spots to check out to break up the drive!
Stops to make
- Explore Baker City! This historic town is most famous for its role on the Oregon Trail. And to learn more about it, head to the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center!
- Grab a bite to eat in La Grande. We love The Local, which is a coffee and ice cream shop inside an old gas station, plus Side A Brewing – Public House, which is in an old fire station. Get their peanut butter burger!
- Tour the Pendleton Underground! If you want to go the long way to Joseph, swing by Pendleton and do their underground tour. Along the way you’ll get to learn about the city’s history with brothels, Chinese laundromats, opium dens, and more. It was such a fun tour!
Where to stay
For the last part of your Eastern Oregon road trip, stay in Joseph! In town you can find a few hotel options, like The Jennings Hotel, Bronze Antler Bed & Breakfast, and Kokanee Inn.
But if you prefer to camp, we stayed at Wallowa Lake State Park, which has campsites, cabins, and yurts. All within walking distance to Wallowa Lake and close to some of the area’s best hikes!
Days 6-8: Explore the Wallowa Mountains
The final 3 days of your Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary will be spent near Joseph. This small town is located at the base of the Wallowa Mountains, another one of the 7 Wonders of Oregon! Nicknamed “Oregon’s Little Switzerland,” here you’ll find stunning mountains, beautiful valleys, and pristine lakes. Its beauty truly rivals the western part of the state!
There are countless things to do in this area and how you choose to spend your time depends heavily on what activities excite you the most. Below are some of our top suggestions for how to spend your 3 days here, but to learn of even more things to do, check out our detailed guide to visiting Joseph, Oregon!
Things to do in Joseph
- Wander around the charming downtown Joseph. Here you’ll find lots of local shops (Copper Creek Mercantile was our favorite!), plus the chance to meet Shadow, the horse that hangs out outside the fly shop. While here, make sure to grab a bite to eat at The Blythe Cricket, plus coffee and chocolates at Arrowhead Chocolates. Their truffles are to die for!
- Relax at Wallowa Lake! We loved visiting the north side of the lake (which boasts the best mountain views) at Wallowa Lake Park. It’s the perfect spot to hang out, swim, kayak, or paddleboard. You can also go on kayaking tours (including a super fun nighttime tour) with JO Paddle!
- Pedal a railbike along old railroad tracks with Joseph Branch Railriders. We loved their Valley Sights Tour, which had incredible mountain views the entire time. It was one of our favorite activities on our entire Eastern Oregon road trip!
- Go for a hike or backpacking trip in the Eagle Cap Wilderness. For day hikers, Chief Joseph Mountain Trail (6.8 miles) is a great choice. But if you want something longer or want to backpack, the Ice Lake Trail (15 miles) and Wallowa River Loop (26 miles) will take you to the area’s best scenery.
- Ride the Wallowa Lake Tramway! It’s very pricey, but the views are fantastic and require very little hiking. So it’s a great way to see the area’s scenery without much effort.
- Drive the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway for great views of the area and the chance to see Hells Canyon (the deepest gorge in North America!) at the Hells Canyon Overlook.
Where to stay
You’ll want to continue staying in Joseph for your final nights of this Eastern Oregon road trip, unless you end up going backpacking for part of it. You can see our top suggestions for places to stay under day 7 of this itinerary!
Important things to know before your Eastern Oregon road trip
Cell service
Outside of the towns along this Eastern Oregon road trip, cell service will be limited to non-existent. So make sure to download offline maps to ensure you can navigate the roads and trails safely. If you’re traveling in a van or RV, Starlink works great out here!
Check the weather
Make sure to check the weather before you go! Some of the gravel roads can get rutted or muddy if it has rained and the Alvord Desert can be extremely sticky if it’s wet. Do not drive out onto the playa and camp if there is any chance of rain!
It also isn’t a safe idea to hike in gulches if it is going to rain, due to possible flash flooding.
Services can be limited
A good chunk of this Eastern Oregon road trip takes you through remote areas, with minimal services (groceries, fuel, etc.). Make sure to stock up whenever you can and come prepared with your own provisions.
Dogs are (mostly) allowed
Minus the Wallowa Lake Tramway and some dining establishments, this entire Eastern Oregon road trip is dog friendly! Most trails do require them to be on leash and PLEASE always pick up after them.
What to bring for your Eastern Oregon road trip
Layers
The mornings and evenings can be a bit cooler than during the day, so don’t forget to pack some layers, especially if visiting in the spring or fall! We always try to have a pullover, puffy jacket (we love our L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Down jackets!), and a rain jacket with us, just in case.
Sun protection
There is VERY limited shade in most spots across Eastern Oregon, so make sure to bring lots of sun protection, like a sun hoodie, hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Adam wears KALIYADI sunglasses and Kathryn wears Ray-Bans.
Food and water
Many of the areas along this Eastern Oregon road trip are very remote, with minimal places to get food or water. So make sure to pack a cooler, plenty of food, and lots of water.
For hiking, we recommend bringing a CamelBak bladder to easily carry plenty of water on the trail. The area’s exposed, sunny, and warm terrain will make you very thirsty! We’d also suggest bringing electrolytes, like LMNT (our favorite!). Use this link to get a free sample pack with any order!
Cash
If you plan to visit the Fields Station General Store, camp at any BLM campgrounds, or want to tip any guides, make sure to have cash on hand.
Trash bags
Some of the areas along this Eastern Oregon road trip itinerary have zero trash services. So pack trash bags and take ALL of your trash with you!
Hiking poles
With some tougher hikes along this road trip, we recommend packing hiking poles to help you on any steep descents.
Garmin inReach Mini
We always bring our Garmin InReach Mini on any outdoor adventure. This gives us the ability to message family to let them know we are okay, plus has SOS capabilities, which we thankfully have never used. It’s an expensive piece of gear, but truly one of the best investments you can make for your safety.
Offline Maps
Make sure to download offline Google Maps and AllTrails Maps while you have cell service to ensure you know where to go. Cell service can be hit or miss in many places along this Eastern Oregon road trip!
Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!
We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.
Tire Deflator
We highly suggest airing down your tires for the gravel roads along this road trip. This can make driving on rough roads feel a lot smoother! We use a Boulder Tools tire deflator and it has worked great over the years.
Portable Air Compressor
If you air down your tires, you will want to air them back up once back on pavement. We have an Viair 88P portable air compressor to do this, which is small and it takes less than 10 minutes to air up all 4 tires.
Spare tire + tire patch kit
Hopefully you will NOT need this, but just in case you get a flat tire due to the rockier terrain, make sure you have a spare tire on your vehicle. We also suggest bringing a tire patch kit in case you are able to salvage the tire.
Emergency Roadside Kit
If you run into an issue with your vehicle, such as a dead battery, help could be tough to get in some of these areas. So make sure to carry an emergency roadside kit!
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