Wallowa Lake is a perfect morainal lake, which means it was formed by glaciation approximately nine million years ago. On the south end of the lake is a small community made up of vacation homes, lodging, restaurants, as well as other small businesses. Wallowa lake has been used for recreation since at least 1880.


The lake is 5 miles long, and a mile wide, with a depth of 283'.


The Chief Joseph Trail, the Aneroid Lake Trail, and the West Fork Trail are the three main trails that go into the Eagle Cap Wilderness from the Wallowa Lake area. Easily reached vistas and overlooks, wild flowers, and stunning autumn colors are readily available for the casual hiker. Hiking to the nearest high lake is a 12 mile round trip with a 3,000 foot elevation gain but you can go as far as the top of 10,000 foot peaks.




Located near the lake is a aerial cable gondola lift. It runs from the bottom of the valley to the top of Mount Howard, which is measured at 8,000 ft (2,400 m). It was built in 1968 and opened to the public in 1970. From the tram car the passenger can see spectacular views of Wallowa Lake as well as the surrounding mountains. In June 1992 a malfunction occurred in the operating system of the Tram and all passengers had to be evacuated by helicopter. There were no injuries and the incident serves as the only such problem that has occurred on the Tramway.