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Day Hike Through History on the North Fork John Day River Trail

Grant County, Oregon

Description

Added by Micah Burress

The first six miles of this trail between North Fork John Day Car Camp and Crane Creek Trail Junction you will pass five standing cabins and a mine. At about the two mile point on the trail I encountered an adult black bear slowing sauntering away from me on the trail at the other end of a long straightaway. Defenseless, I immediately turned around and walked back to the trailhead. This trail goes right to the heart of the largest of the four parts of the John Day Wilderness. There are frequent meadows and during times of rainfall can almost look like you are walking on someones yard. This is an easy hike - elevation loss over the first six miles is just over a 1000 feet or less than 200 feet per mile with ample backcountry camping sites. If your one who can day hike the entire six miles, it is possible to day hike the North Fork John Day River further by going the next day to the Crane Creek Trail and hiking three miles to connect with where you left off allowing you to see three more miles of the North Fork John Day downstream. You can then Hike the Granite Creek three miles even further downstream and hike upstream to connect with the end of your Crane Creek Hike and so on.

The pictures provided give an accurate description of what you'll find in the first two miles of the trail. Fortunately there are no more trail crossings after the one near the trailhead as there are year round streams making the North Fork John Day River larger as you go further downstream.
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