Written Directions
From Joseph follow the signs to Enterprise, you'll make a right down main street and the road make a hard left, then go straight ahead to remain on Hwy 82. At Elgin you'll make a hard left (going straight would put you on the 204 Weston/Elgin hwy). As you come into the La Grande area you'll make a right turn by the gas station and be on a 4 lane road, this will lead you to the I-84.
Scenery
Hwy 82 from Joseph to La Grande provides excellent views of the Wallowa Mountains, including the Matterhorn peak and Eagles Cap and the majestic Wallowa valley of grass lands and cattle ranches. The Hwy follows the Wallowa River and then the Grande Ronde River before climbing over a mini pass out of the Wallowa valley and heading down into Elgin.
Drive Enjoyment
The road winds along the river in many places with great sweeping turns. The speed limits is only 55mph and you may find yourself cruising along at a significantly faster speed as the pavement is very good with very few breaks or rough spots. Do be ware of the corner signs that post the recommended speed; some leave you wondering why did I just slow down for that and other leave you feeling like 45mph OMG that corner should be a 30mph, then some of the tightest corners are not marked at all. Some good common sense will keep the rubber side down. This is a fun little road that I know I will ride again.
Tourism Opportunities
The Wallowa Valley has every type of outdoor activity including fishing for trout and steelhead, to some quaint shops and antiques. I like the little town of Joseph for its shops, restaurants and bars. Enterprise has a Safeway store, gas and some good places to eat. The Wallowa Lake Lodge has a 4 star restaurant with excellent prime rib. Do note it is difficult to get a place to stay on a weekend from Memorial Day through Labor Day. There are lots of expensive B&Bs. Joseph hosts a motorcycle rendezvous the 3rd weekend in August, all types of bikes are welcome, but reservations need to be made almost a year in advance to get a place to stay in town.
Motorcycle Road Additional info
- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
