Baker County

Wagon wheel ruts still mar the ground at Flagstaff Hill outside present day Baker City. The pioneers on their way to the fertile Willamette Valley passed through this rugged country, never knowing that just under their wagon wheels was a vast fortune. The gold rush of Baker County occurred in 1861, bringing miners from across the country to pan for gold between the Snake River and the Wallowa Mountains. Nowadays, this beautiful country is still wild; tourists are drawn to the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area and the formidable Hells Canyon National Recreation Area for off-grid camping and back country hiking. If you’re looking for a place to build a new house that calls the outdoors home, Baker County is worth a look. Its economy centers around the area’s outdoor tourism and the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center located in Baker City.