Oregon · Hiking

Chief Joseph Ascent

Chief Joseph AscentPhoto: pfly from Pugetopolis, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
2.0 mi
round trip
3,318 ft
climb
9,624 ft
high point
Out and back
route

Is Chief Joseph Ascent open right now?

Closure in the area

There's a closure order in Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It doesn't name Chief Joseph Ascent, so check the source for the area it covers.

As of · Source: USFS · Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Chief Joseph Ascent is a hard out-and-back hike of about 4 miles in Oregon's Eagle Cap Wilderness, part of the Eagle Cap Ranger District of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. It is a front-loaded climb, with the most elevation gained in the first part of the route, and it rises from a start near 6,400 feet to a high point of 9,624 feet. The trail is a serious objective. A round trip of about 4 miles adds up to roughly 3,300 feet of total gain and loss, and the climb is rated hard. Plan on about three hours for the trip. The route begins close to two other hikes, the Old Chief Joseph Trail and Blowdown, each about 0.2 miles away. Farther afield, the Wallowa Mountains climbing area lies about 4 miles off, and Hurricane Creek Campground is about 5 miles away.

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Old Chief Joseph TrailPhoto: pfly from Pugetopolis, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Old Chief Joseph Trail

Next door

2.16-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 1,876 ft elevation gain.

Chief Joseph TrailPhoto: pfly from Pugetopolis, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Chief Joseph Trail

~1 min drive

4.71-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 1,105 ft gain and 3,584 ft loss.

East Fork Wallowa TrailPhoto: randallagordon, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

East Fork Wallowa Trail

~3 min drive

4.11-mile out-and-back hike on the East Fork Wallowa Trail in Oregon with 3,035 ft of elevation gain.

Royal Purple Mine TrailPhoto: randallagordon, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Royal Purple Mine Trail

~5 min drive

0.76-mile out-and-back hike to Royal Purple Mine in Oregon with 547 ft gain

BlowdownPhoto: Breibeest, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Blowdown

Next door

Blowdown is a 0.55-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 38 ft of elevation gain.

West Fork Wallowa TrailPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

West Fork Wallowa Trail

~6 min drive

23.34-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,659 ft gain/loss and 8,376 ft max elevation.

Ice Lake TrailPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Ice Lake Trail

~6 min drive

6.88-mile out-and-back hike in Oregon with 3,161 ft elevation gain

Mt. Howard summit loopPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Mt. Howard summit loop

~5 min drive

1.22-mile loop in Oregon with 471 ft elevation gain and 8,212 ft max elevation.

Wallowa Park Tie-In TrailPhoto: Breibeest, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Wallowa Park Tie-In Trail

Next door

0.62-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 21 ft gain and 917 ft loss.

Hurricane Creek TrailPhoto: David Dugan, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Hurricane Creek Trail

~7 min drive

19.64-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 3,500 ft gain and 7,712 ft max elevation.

Route details

Distance
2.0 mi round trip
Climbing
About 3,318 ft
Summit
9,624 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Time
About 2.5 hours

Questions about this route

How long is the Chief Joseph Ascent on Chief Joseph Mountain?

About 2.0 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Chief Joseph Ascent?

About 3,318 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Chief Joseph Ascent?

It is rated hard.

How long does the Chief Joseph Ascent take?

About 2.5 hours round trip.

Conditions and forecast on Chief Joseph Mountain

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors