Grande Ronde River
Classification / Mileage
Natural habitat: 26.4 miles
Recreation: 17.4 miles
Total: 43.8 miles
From the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest on the border of Oregon and Washington, this river offers a unique landscape, floatboating, fishing for salmon and rainbow trout, the range of winter wildlife and cultural resources.
Hunting is popular in this section of the Grande Ronde River. mule deer, elk, black bears, mountain lions and bighorn sheep are the main game animals that inhabit the river corridor. Fishing is excellent end of the season after the water levels have receded. Walking along the lateral and dorsal streams offer limited tours daily, but there is no designated trails along river.
The Nez Perce, Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Cayuse Indians lived in the scope of the Grande Ronde. Evidence of cultural history can be glimpsed in the form of historic and prehistoric sites and objects on public lands. These sites of cultural resources are fragile and irreplaceable, and the law protects this cultural history.
The land is administered by various interests, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, the State of Oregon, and many private owners.
Due to the remoteness of the river canyon, vehicle access is often impossible and the comforts of civilization are few.