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Located along the Bear Creek riparian area on the northern end of the Eagle Cap Wilderness, this rustic campground has 8 tent-only campsites, 2 are accessible sites. Popular activities include; fishing, picnicking and family camping. The Bear Creek Trailhead is located nearby.
From Enterprise, Oregon head northwest of State Hughway 82 back towards Wallowa; in Wallowa look for Boundary Campground signs and turn left on First Street and go 0.4 miles; Turn left on North Bear Creek Road and go 1.2 miles (road make several turns); Turn left onto Forest Raod 8250 and go 6 miles; Turn right onto Forest Road 040 and go 0.7 miles to Campground. Forest Roads are gravel surface.
Very few people and refreshing water at the headwaters of the Rogue River
A nice 3.5 mile hike if you park on the forestry road. The spring is ice cold, and really refreshing to drink.
This trail is pretty easy except for the dozens of downed trees. My hiking buddy is super short and after scrambling over waist high dead fall for several miles, she was beat. This scrambling added a considerable amount of time to our trip.
The trail winds through a large burn scar and you are in the sun most of the time. We went early, around 7am it was 46 degrees in late July. It was above 70 when we returned after lunchtime but felt hotter without shade.
Trail is almost always in site or earshot of the water. Absolutely beautiful springs pouring out of the ground at the headwaters. Freezing cold water, endless flowers, tons of berries, and thick mosses create a babbling oasis here. I can only imagine the splendor before it burned.
Highlight for me was the thousands of yellow monkey flowers growing out of the downed trees in the river. I have never seen a site quite like this.
