For most hikers and backpackers, when they think of Washington their thoughts tend to drift to the rugged grandeur of the North Cascades or the rainforests, beaches, and mountains of the Olympic Peninsula. The beauty and opportunities for amazing trips in those locales can certainly not be understated. As evidenced by increasing crowds at many trailheads in recent years, and stiff competition for permits in areas where they are required, the public lands in the western part of the state aren’t (at least, in a typical year) lacking in visitors enjoying the world-class outdoor recreation which is available.

Although public lands are fewer and further between in eastern Washington, there are several chunks of wilderness that provide opportunities for memorable backpacking trips. The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness and the Salmo-Priest Wilderness, in southeast and northeast Washington, respectively, are two great destinations for hikers interested in exploring the public lands of the eastern part of the state. The tiny Palouse Falls State Park in east-central Washington doesn’t provide any options for backpacking, but the waterfall is incredibly impressive and a must-see scenic attraction if you’re nearby. And as noted in a previous issue of TrailGroove, there is great, but limited, early season backpacking near Yakima, Washington.

Although the scenery is more subdued than the craggy Cascades that most associate with Washington hiking, it has a sublime charm and a distinct character that makes it equally enjoyable. To sweeten the deal, your chances of arriving at a trailhead for a backpacking trip and being the only, or one of only a handful, of vehicles in the lot is much greater than in many other parts of the state – or the country, for that matter.

The Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness of Washington

At 177,423 acres the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness is the largest wilderness area in eastern Washington. Located on the Umatilla National Forest in extreme southeastern Washington (parts of the wilderness are so far south they cross the border into Oregon), this wilderness area is far removed from the population centers of Seattle and Portland and even Spokane is several hours away. Located in the Blue Mountains, the predominant landscape features of the wilderness are not peaks or subalpine lakes (there are actually no lakes at all in the wilderness) but steep canyons and gentle, rolling ridgetop meadows that create a mesa-like feel. And, of course, the Wenaha and Tucannon Rivers from which the wilderness takes its name are major landscape features.

With a maximum elevation of 6,401 feet at Oregon Butte, which is located in Washington and is home to a still-staffed fire lookout, much of this wilderness is free of snow by late June (although snow drifts can make some access roads impassable until later and can also linger on certain aspects of the higher elevation meadows) and it makes for a great early season backpacking destination. The lower elevations, especially along the Wenaha River which is around 2,000 feet, are typically passable even earlier in the season but some of the hiking is limited and the impact of severe wildfires in recent years make it a bit less pleasant as a locale to spend the entirety of a trip.

By timing your trip for when you can straddle the line between the higher elevations being mostly or completely melted out and the lower elevations not being unbearably hot (despite being in Washington, the lower elevations in the eastern part of the state can see very hot temperatures), you can get the best of both worlds in this wilderness area. Flowing creeks in the canyon bottoms, blooming wildflowers up high, and pleasant temperatures all around. June is generally an ideal month to try and pull off such a trip, although you might need to park at a lower elevation trailhead, such as the Panjab Trailhead, rather than trailheads higher up like those for Oregon Butte or Mount Misery.

While the trail system technically has around 200 miles of trail in it, the conditions can vary drastically from one trail to another. Some are virtually indistinguishable from game trails and others are distinct and impossible to lose footpaths. Somewhat frustratingly, some unofficial use trails can be found in certain areas which can cause confusion given the already faint nature of some of the “official trails”. The trails can also fade away in the meadows and require some careful scouting to see where they veer off and re-enter forest. Last but not least, wildfires have also created challenges. In 2017, the trail after ascending from Fairview Bar to Smooth Ridge was nearly impossible to find after entering the burned area after the steepest part of the climb had ended. In other words, don’t be surprised if at some point on your trip in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness you find yourself scratching your head and looking at your map at least once.

Water is plentiful in the major drainages at the lower elevations, but is harder to come by once on top of the plateau-like mountains. Springs are scattered across the landscape at fairly reasonable intervals and many feature quaint log troughs from which to replenish your water supply. Several springs have established campsites, some of which are quite elaborate and are occupied for much of the fall elk hunting season, while others are just convenient spots to fill your water reservoirs. By keeping an eye on these on the map and scouting out the terrain, you shouldn’t have much difficulty carrying only the amount of water you need and being able to camp without having to haul a lot of water, if that is your preference.

With those caveats out of the way, the virtues of the Wenaha-Tucannon can now be praised without trepidation and hopefully some interest can be instilled for hikers to visit this area. This is certainly one wilderness area in Washington where a bit more use would prevent trails from fading into obscurity. If you’re looking for an opportunity relatively early in the season to enjoy some underappreciated but beautiful scenery in the inland Northwest, then look no further.

As already noted, the subdued beauty of this slice of wilderness in the Blue Mountains is largely owed to the fact that the mountains feel more like mesas than summits. While Oregon Butte and Weller Butte, as well as Mount Misery and Diamond Peak, certainly provide the feeling of being on a summit, the stretches of rolling open meadows in between them are just as alluring. Late June is a great time to see wildflowers blooming in the meadows and the views from many of the crests of these meadows offer a great perspective on the area. Bears also seem to enjoy these meadows as well, and many in the area have a beautiful cinnamon color rather than the typical black of black bears. Elk are the other large wildlife that you might encounter in the wilderness and they draw groups of hunters during the fall hunting season. Although less common, bighorn sheep are residents of the area as well. The views from Oregon Butte are perhaps the most expansive in the wilderness and on clear days extend all the way to the snowcapped Wallowa Mountains in Oregon.

Dropping down into the canyon bottoms from the higher elevations, you enter a forest with lots of ponderosa pines and with lively streams running through it. For anglers, these streams should be of particular interest as Crooked Creek contains native redband rainbow trout. The Wenaha River is also a popular trout stream, but the intimacy of fishing a smaller stream from near your campsite deep in the wilderness is a distinct pleasure. Vegetation can be thick along the trails in the canyon and rattlesnakes are common along the river, especially in sunny spots. Most streams in the wilderness can be crossed without much issue at normal flows, but some larger ones – such as Crooked Creek – would cause difficulty at higher flows. The bridge over Crooked Creek was damaged in 2016 and it is planned to be replaced, but in late June 2017 the crossing was still safe if properly scouted.

At lower elevations, the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness offers lush forests, streams, and creeks.

A Loop in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness

For hikers looking to get the most out of a trip to the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness, it is hard to go wrong and plan a roughly 50-mile hike or loop that hits most of the highlights – Oregon Butte, meadows, Crooked Creek Canyon, and the Wenaha River. If accessible, a hike is best started from the Mount Misery trailhead. If snow drifts still block the road to Mount Misery, an alternative option is to start from the Panjab Trailhead which will add mileage and elevation gain to your trip. From either trailhead, a look at a map will reveal route options that pass through the heart of the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness without having to cross any roads or other major access points. Ambitious hikers could plan for two or three nights, but the area is best hiked and savored over four to six days. Between fishing, exploring various points of interest (a small natural arch is along one of the trails down to Crooked Creek), and enjoying the spectacular sunrises and sunsets, there is little impetus to rush through such a beautiful place.

Need to Know

Information

No permits are needed, but certain trailheads require a Northwest Forest Pass. Call the Umatilla National Forest at 541-278-3716 for details.

Getting There

(Mount Misery Trailhead): After arriving in the small and exceedingly out-of-the-way Pomeroy, WA drive south on WA-128 E, continuing straight onto Mountain Road and continuing straight again onto FR-40. Stay on this road for almost 16 miles and then take a right onto FR-4030 and drive five miles to the trailhead at the end of the road. The last two and a half miles are rougher than the rest, so you might want to park and walk this last section.

Best Time to Go

Mid-June to early-July is the ideal time of year to go for pleasant temperatures and wildflowers. Fall can be nice as well, although be aware that hunting is popular in the area.

Maps and Books

Backpacking Washington, Third Edition by Douglas Lorain and the author of this article, Mark Wetherington, contains a description of a backpacking loop trip in the Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness. For day hiking opportunities in Eastern Washington, see Day Hiking Eastern Washington. The Hiking Oregon Falcon Guide offers insight on additional trails and hikes in the state.

The Umatilla National Forest has previously published a Wenaha-Tucannon Wilderness map, however recent availability has been limited. For planning you can refer to the forest service website, and printing USGS topos for backpacking in the area is recommended, possibly combined with utilizing a smartphone mapping application such as the CalTopo app.

For getting to and from trailheads, the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteer for Washington as well as the Oregon Delorme Atlas can be useful.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in Issue 46 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read the original article here for additional photos.