Baker City - city in and the county seat of Baker County, Oregon, United States

Baker City is a small city in Eastern Oregon located on the I-84 about 40 minutes south-east of La Grande.

Get in

Most people will arrive on the I-84 which runs from Portland through to Boise and beyond. Highway 7 runs west to John Day and Highway 86 goes east as the Hell's Canyon Scenic Highway.

Get around

See

• The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, Highway 86 (6 miles (10 km) east of the town), 44.8146°, -117.729°, +1 541-523-1843, BLM_OR_NH_Mail@blm.gov. Informative and interesting. You can see the old ruts from the wagon trains on the hills near the museum. The Center is a National Historic Site and there is an entrance fee although National Park passes may be used here. 2020-12-02
• Baker Heritage Museum (formerly Oregon Trail Regional Museum), 2480 Grove St., 44.7816°, -117.8257°, +1 541-523-9308. Daily 9AM-4PM. Housed in the 1920 Baker Municipal Natatorium. Adults $6; Seniors (60+) and Youth (13-17) $5; Children (12 and under) Free 2017-04-03
• Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge/ State Heritage Area, 44.7425°, -118.204167°, +1 541-894-2486. Free 2017-10-01
• St. Francis de Sales Cathedral, 2235 First St, 44.7794°, -117.831°, +1 541-523-4521, office@sfdsc.org. 2020-09-07

Do

• The Hells Canyon Scenic Highway. This is the southern end of the Hells Canyon Scenic Highway which follows Rte 86 east of town to the Snake River on the Oregon-Idaho border. The Scenic drive can be followed as a big loop around to Joseph and La Grande further to the north. Be aware that driving the entire loop may not be possible during winter as some roads are not maintained and can be blocked by snow. This situation may exist well into spring (ie: late April). Some of the roads traverse high terrain where winter snows may linger longer than you might expect.
• Historic Building Walk. The town has numerous restored older buildings and there is a walking route around the downtown featuring many of these fine old structures.
• The Elkhorn Scenic Byway. A wonderful drive through the Elkhorn Mountains just outside of Baker City. It follows Highway 7 to Sumpter and around to Haines past Anthony Lakes Ski Area and the North Fork John Day River Wilderness. This route is also often tough in Winter.
• Anthony Lakes Ski Area, 47500 Anthony Lakes Hwy, North Powder, OR, 44.9637°, -118.235°, +1 541-856-3277, info@anthonylakes.com. Some of the most powdery ski conditions in Oregon and is just 35 miles from Baker City. 2020-12-02
• The Powder River and Phillips Reservoir, 44.7436°, -117.049°. Great fishing opportunities both in Baker City and nearby.
• Miners Jubilee, Geiser Pollman Park. Miners Jubilee is an annual festival in July that features a parade, bull and bronc riding, a showing of the movie Paint Your Wagons (filmed in Baker City), gold panning championships, and other exciting events.
• Unity Lake State Recreation Site, 44.498889°, -118.187222°, +1 541 446-3470. 2018-07-25

Buy

• Bella, Main St. Little kitchen store with enormous wine selection, gifts, coffee bar, kitchen gadgets and more.

Eat

• Barley Brown's Brewpub. Has excellent craft beers and good food.
• El Eradero. Mexican restaurant.
• Paizano's Pizza, 2940 10th St, +1 541 524-1000. 11AM–8PM. Gourmet pizzas, huge stromboli, over 65 different toppings, excellent salads, over 30 beers available, TVs, sports. The dough is made in-house from an Italian yeast colony and gluten-free and keto options are available a well. Vegan cheese and sausage are also on the menu.
• Mad Matilda's Vintage Market and Coffee, 1931 Court Ave (at Main St), +1 541-519-2991. Great coffee shop in a historic downtown building. 2021-03-21

Drink

Sleep

• Best Western Sunridge Inn & Conference Center (formerly Best Western Sunridge Inn), 1 Sunridge Ln, +1 541-523-6444. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM.
• Geiser Grand Hotel, 1996 Main St, +1 541 523-1889. Great historic hotel built in 1889, with a large stained glass ceiling. Also has a stellar restaurant and bar. 2020-09-07
• The Ison House Bed & Brew, 1790 Washington Ave, +1 503-894-4075. 2021-05-19

Connect

The Baker County Library located near the downtown has Internet access with wireless capabilities. The Library is well-appointed and an attractive place to spend some time.

Go next