The road to Pine Creek Reservoir in OR isn’t an easy one

Pine Creek Reservoir is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 2.003m (6,571ft) above the sea level, located in Baker County, in the U.S. state of Oregon.

Pine Creek Reservoir

Tucked away in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Sumpter, the old rocky road to the reservoir is totally unpaved. It’s called Pine Creek Road. Four-wheel drive vehicles are required on the last three miles.

The road is very steep, hitting a 23% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting west of Wingville, the road is 7.5 km (4,66 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 789 meters. The average gradient is 10.52%. Due its steepness the road is not recommended for motor vehicle use.

Set high the Elkhorn Mountains, in eastern Oregon, between Rock Creek Butte (9,105') and Elkhorn Peak (8,931'), a minor unpaved trail located north-west of the reservoir, climbs up to 2.423m (7,949ft) above the sea level. It’s one of the highest roads of Oregon.

 

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