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Hiking Van Patten Lake Trail

We're in La Grande, surrounded by blue skies, beautiful mountains, a gorgeous valley and no traffic. The center of Eastern Oregon. The middle of nowhere.

There's nothing better than knowing we can walk out our front door and be hiking in the cool shade of ponderosa pine in just a few minutes.

If you feel like making tracks in semi-remote wilderness - the Van Patten Lake trail is just 40 minutes south of La Grande and offers a beautiful alpine lake and incredible views of the Eagle Caps.

The mile-and-a-half hike starts at 6000 feet. My partner, Benj, describes it as a difficult hike, I thought it was a moderate hike. We both thought it was worth the effort. It's a great get-away as a day hike or an overnighter.

Before you go, stock up on water and gorp in La Grande's health food store - Nature's Pantry. Then just head south on I-84 to Anthony Lakes. Watch for the signs. It's easy!

Keywords: Hiking / Mountaineering, Free, Just you alone / As a single, With teens, Mountain, Relaxing, With a group, Summer (June - August), As a couple, Easy to reach, Fall (September - November)