Information
Landmark: Anthony LakesCity: Baker City
Country: USA Oregon
Continent: North America
Anthony Lakes, Baker City, USA Oregon, North America
Overview
Tucked high in Oregon’s Elkhorn Mountains, about 20 miles west of Baker City, Anthony Lakes offers a cluster of clear alpine lakes and surrounding recreation areas where the air smells crisp and piney, while with its glass-clear waters framed by jagged granite cliffs and open to visitors in every season, it stands as both a striking natural landmark and the heart of one of Oregon’s favorite high-mountain escapes.Geography and SettingAt about 7,100 feet, the lakes shimmer in thin mountain air, ranking among the highest lake basins you can reach in Oregon, in addition they sit in cirques cut deep by Ice Age glaciers, where sheer ridges rise like walls and smooth granite outcrops catch the sun, giving the location a bold, alpine feel.Anthony Lake is the biggest and draws the most visitors, but smaller neighbors like Hoffer Lakes, Grande Ronde Lake, and Dutch Flat Lake break up the scene with their own quiet stretches of water, alternatively sharp granite peaks-Gunsight Mountain, Angell Peak-frame the scene, and Rock Creek Butte, the Elkhorns’ tallest at over 9,100 feet, rises close by like a massive stone watchtower.If I’m being honest, The name “Anthony Lakes” pays tribute to Major William H, whose legacy still echoes in the crisp mountain air, what’s more anthony was a U, partially S, not only that army officer stationed in the region during the 19th century, his boots often dusted with the red clay of the frontier.The Cayuse and Umatilla, along with other Indigenous peoples of the Blue Mountains, once traveled to the high country each season to hunt game and gather roots and berries, also later, miners, loggers, and settlers moved through the area, but after roads finally reached the shore in the early 1900s, people prized the lakes mostly for recreation-paddling petite boats across their glassy surface.Anthony Lakes is a year-round playground, with each season offering its own draw, and in summer, trailheads connect to the Elkhorn Crest Trail, where you can backpack along high alpine ridges or take a quick hike to the glassy waters of Hoffer Lakes or Black Lake, not entirely Fishing: frosty, clear water holds trout that dart like quick shadows, luring anglers to cast their lines, to boot camping at Anthony Lake Campground puts you right by the water, and you’ll find more quiet spots tucked into the woods just a short drive away.In July and August, the meadows burst with lupine, paintbrush, and larkspur, their colors vivid against the grass, while mountain goats and elk wander the high ridges, in turn in autumn, larch trees blaze gold, their needles glowing in the slanting light and luring both hikers and photographers.During the regulated hunting season, you’ll often perceive hunters moving through the surrounding forest, boots crunching over fallen leaves, moreover winter at Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort brings soft, dry powder under your skis and a network of modest, welcoming slopes where the pine trees catch the morning light.Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing take you along more than 30 kilometers of groomed Nordic trails that wind around frozen lakes and quiet, snow-covered meadows, besides backcountry skiing draws advanced skiers to steeper slopes just past the resort, where the snow lies untouched and the air feels sharper.If I’m being honest, In spring, melting snow trickles into streams and fills the lake basin, turning the land green and scattering yellow and purple wildflowers along the banks, and anthony Lake is just a smooth drive away on a paved Forest Service road, so families and casual visitors can pull right up and step out into the mountain air.Along the lakeshore, you’ll find shady picnic tables, a ramp for launching kayaks or canoes, and winding paths perfect for a quiet saunter, simultaneously if you’re feeling adventurous, you can tackle a multiday backpacking trip along the Elkhorn Crest, a winding high route where ridges drop away to sunlit valleys far below.The Anthony Lakes basin sits inside the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, with stretches of protected wilderness tracing the high, wind-scoured crest of the Elkhorns, what’s more because it sits high above sea level, summers fade quickly and winters linger, so trails stay quieter than the crowded, lower-elevation spots.Volunteers team up with local groups and the Forest Service to keep the trails open while protecting the quiet nesting spots deep in the woods, and anthony Lakes captures the heart of Oregon’s alpine country-a handful of vivid blue lakes cradled by sheer granite walls, where you can ski in January or hike through wildflowers in July, all in a spot that feels far away yet is easy to reach.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-09-10
