The Eagle Cap Wilderness is the largest and most popular in Oregon.
And thanks to conservation work by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and it partners, it’s now more accessible for hunters, anglers, hikers and others to use and enjoy.
RMEF acquired a 471-acre chunk of land that was previously a private inholding within the wilderness west of Wallowa Lake in the northeast part of the state and conveyed it to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Not only is that a parcel open to public access but the project improves public access to approximately 23,000 acres of surrounding public land.
It’s an important elk transition area because it lies between summer range in the high country and winter range land below.
It’s also home to mule deer, bighorn sheep and other bird and animal life, plus it provides important riparian habitat for spawning spring chinook salmon.
The transaction also insures unimpeded access to the Hurricane Creek and Falls Creeks Trails.
Opening and improving public access lies at the heart of RMEF’s conservation mission.
To learn more about RMEF access projects in your area, turn on the RMEF layer in the On X Hunt App to view project sites and boundaries.