Wallowa County
Located in the northeast corner of Oregon, Wallowa County is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation, and small town living. A longstanding tradition of making a living from the land continues today – ranching and farming remain the cornerstone of our economy, lifestyle, and identity.
This place is the ancestral and traditional homeland of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce), Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples. We acknowledge and celebrate their continuing connection to this land and community.
Where we live and work
Wallowa County has no stop lights, no shopping malls, and a 64 mile on-ramp to Interstate 84. Surrounded by the Wallowa Mountains and Hells Canyon - it’s isolated from the rest of the State. About 2.3 people per square mile, or a total of 7,000, reside in Wallowa County, a number that has remained stable since the 1930’s. We are 65 miles from the nearest McDonald’s and four hours from a major airport. Wallowa County is truly small town living.
Most visitors are awed by the open space, the stunning snow-capped mountains, Wallowa Lake and its iconic glacial moraines, the big green valley and Hells Canyon. They remember the wildflowers that bloom each spring on the Zumwalt Prairie, the kokanee spawning each fall adjacent to Wallowa Lake State Park. They smile with memories of Chief Joseph Days Rodeo, summer festivals and art shows, the bronze statues lining the city of Joseph, the homecoming gathering of the Nez Perce - and the indelible images of red barns, working ranch cowboys, livestock and the old west. Many remember hiking through the Eagle Cap Wilderness or rafting and playing in the rivers.
Above and beyond the beauty of Wallowa County - residents enjoy the strong sense of community, and the commitment to land stewardship at the core of its custom and culture. They take pride in working hard, and prioritizing family and friends. Even during the worst period of economic decline - there was strong support for youth education that was reflected in nearly 100% graduation rates. According to a 2017 report by the Oregon Community Foundation, growing up in northeastern Oregon has the most positive impact on household income later in life. In Oregon, Wallowa County ranks highest in the social capital index and falls in the top 100 counties in the country.
It’s a close-knit community, one that pulls together when times are tough to help one another out. Like many other isolated rural communities surrounded by public lands throughout the western US - Wallowa County’s economy collapsed due to abrupt changes in national forest management. The hospital almost went bankrupt following the loss of its saw mills (and a significant decline in insured patients) - so the community formed a new foundation to sustain health care - eventually leading to the construction of a new hospital and an expansion of health services. Facing an uncertain economic future, county leadership and citizens came together and supported the creation of a community based non profit (Wallowa Resources) to advance a new approach to rural development - one based on long-term land stewardship, and a shared vision for taking care of the land and water.