The Elkhorn Scenic Byway

A local tour interprets the region’s long history of grazing

Throughout Baker County, visitors can see the ranching heritage that still shapes the community today. With more than two dozen Oregon State Heritage farms and ranches in Baker County, the working West is still a way of life here. Geiser Grand Hotel owner Barbara Sidway noticed that many of her guests had an interest in what it is like to live on a ranch in Eastern Oregon, so she created the Geiser Grand Ranch Experiences, connecting local ranchers with visitors who would like a taste of the economically and culturally important ranching industry.

History, nature and a steak

The Elkhorn Scenic Byway is one of the three Scenic Byways that connect in downtown Baker City. The byway offers visitors an opportunity to explore the region’s rich turn-of-the-19th-century gold rush heritage and even offers a few ghost towns. Meandering through the spectacular Elkhorn Mountains, attractions include the Sumpter Valley Railroad, Sumpter Dredge State Park, the ghost town of Granite and Anthony Lakes (a popular ski resort, and summertime mountain biking and hiking destination). End your adventure in the small town of Haines, home of Haines Steak House and the Eastern Oregon Museum, where nostalgic artifacts tell the region’s history.