From a relaxing stroll around a tranquil lake to an exhilarating trek to a mountain summit, hikers of all abilities will find something to love in Grant County. A wide range of hiking adventures await you here, from short loops to multiday backpacking trips. Here are a few of our favorite trails.

EASY

Magone Lake Trail

This delightful 1.5-mile loop, with informational plaques spaced at intervals, provides a wonderful introduction to Magone Lake, a favorite warm-weather getaway for Grant County locals. Nestled in a forest of old-growth ponderosas, the lake has a campground, picnic area and boat dock for paddlers and fishermen.

Directions: From Highway 26 between John Day and Prairie City, turn north on County Road 18 to Forest Road 3620. Go south on 3620 to Forest Road 3618. Turn west on 3618 to the Magone Lake Day Use Area.

Arch Rock Trail

This short, easy hike, suitable for families with children, leads to a rock arch in a formation of welded tuff, with a number of small cavelike openings eroded into the stone.

Directions: From Highway 26, about 10 miles east of John Day, turn north on County Road 18. Follow this road for approximately 10 miles to the junction of Forest Service Road 36. Follow Forest Road 36 along Camp Creek to the junction with Forest Road 3650. Follow Forest Road 3650 to the junction of Forest Service Road 3650-468, where the trailhead is located.

MODERATE

Monument Rock

An air of mystery surrounds this hike’s destination, a manmade cairn of rock piled into a massive, 8-foot-high cylinder atop a remote butte at 7,736 feet. It’s not entirely clear who built this isolated landmark, whether native Paiute Indians, wandering prospectors who explored the area in the 1860s or lonely Basque sheepherders who grazed their flocks here in the early 1900s. It’s something to wonder about as you enjoy the summit views. Be sure to carry a good map or guidebook with you for this hike, which gains 500 feet over a roundtrip distance of 5.6 miles: the trails are not always well-marked. The access road, too, can be a bit of a challenge for passenger cars.

Directions: From downtown Prairie City, turn south at a sign for Depot Park and Strawberry Lake. From the stop sign at a T intersection, turn left on what becomes County Road 62 and continue for 8 miles. Turn left on Road 13, continuing for 11.7 miles on this paved road before turning left onto gravel Road 1370 at a sign for the Little Malheur River. Take the left-hand fork at 4.4 miles to stay on Road 1370, then go right in anther 1.5 miles following a sign that says Table Rock L.O., then go left after another 0.2 mile. At this point the road turns rough, though it’s passable with good clearance and decent tires. Continue 3.8 miles to a switchback with a message board and a small parking area.

Slide Lake

For a less crowded alternative to the popular Strawberry Lake, the trail to Slide Lake is hard to beat. From the Strawberry Basin Trailhead, you’ll climb gradually through pleasant woods for 1 mile, then go left at the junction with the Slide Basin Trail. After another mile of steeper climbing, you’ll come to another junction. Washouts have made the trail impassable beyond this point, so go left on the Tie-In Trail. After another mile you’ll rejoin the main trail, and a half-mile after that you’ll turn left on a side trail down into beautiful Slide Lake. As a bonus, follow a short user trail at the head of the lake to lovely Little Slide Lake. Watch for mountain goats in the rocks towering above the lake basin. 8 miles round trip, with 1,500 feet of elevation gain.

Directions: From downtown Prairie City, turn south on Bridge Street at a sign for Depot Park and Strawberry Lake. From the stop sign at a T intersection, go left for two blocks, then turn right at the Strawberry Campground sign onto Bridge Street, which soon becomes County Road 60 and then Forest Road 6001. The road ends after 10.7 miles (including about 7.5 miles of gravel) at Strawberry Campground, where you’ll find a parking area and the trailhead just beyond the vault toilets.

CHALLENGING

Strawberry Mountain

Strawberry Mountain is the centerpiece of the 19,620-acre Strawberry Mountain Wilderness, a rugged landscape draped in conifer forest and dotted with scenic lakes and tumbling streams. At 9,038 feet, Strawberry Mountain is also the highest peak in the wilderness, offering far-flung vistas from its rocky, pyramid-shaped summit — and a challenging day’s walk for fit, experienced hikers, with 3,300 feet of elevation gain and a roundtrip distance of 12.8 miles. Along the way you’ll pass scenic Strawberry Lake and Strawberry Falls, either of which makes a fine destination for a shorter hike. Watch for mountain goats as you climb into the high country, where sweeping views of the John Day Valley open up before you.

Directions: From downtown Prairie City, turn south on Bridge Street at a sign for Depot Park and Strawberry Lake. From the stop sign at a T intersection, go left for two blocks, then turn right at the Strawberry Campground sign onto Bridge Street, which soon becomes County Road 60 and then Forest Road 6001. The road ends after 10.7 miles (including about 7.5 miles of gravel) at Strawberry Campground, where you’ll find a parking area and the trailhead just beyond the vault toilets.

Fields Peak

Perched atop the Aldrich Range, 7,362-foot Fields Peak is the highest point between the Strawberry Mountains and the Cascades. The summit offers spectacular, 360-degree views, but it takes work to get there — the 2.3-mile trail (each way) packs 1,850 feet of elevation gain, most of it crammed into the steep final push to the top. Popular with hunters during the season, this trail gives access to Fields Peak and McClellan Mountain. The Fields Peak Trail is open to motorized vehicles, while the McClellan Mountain Trail is not.

Directions: From John Day, travel west on U.S. Highway 26 approximately 18 miles to Forest Road 21. Drive south on Forest Road 21 approximately 8 miles to Forest Road 2100115. There will be a sign along the road indicating the direction to McClellan Trailhead. Drive east on Forest Road 2100115 for ¼ mile to Forest Road 2160. Drive south on Forest Road 2160 for a short distance to Forest Road 2160041. Continue driving south on Forest Road 2160041 to the trailhead. Parking is available for several passenger vehicles and stock trailers.