Wallowa Mountains

Mountain range in the northeastern corner of Oregon, situated to the east of the Blue Mountains. This alpine region has many glacial lakes and meadows, and is popularly known as ‘Little Switzerland’. Many of the state's highest peaks are in the Wallowa Mountains, including Sacajawea Peak and the Matterhorn, (both of which stand at around 3,050 m/10,000 ft), Eagle Cap (2,955 m/9,695 ft), and Mount Howard (2,516 m/8,256 ft)

In the east of the range, the Wallowa Valley, site of the Wallowa River and Lake, is the ancestral home of the Nez Percé; there are a number of memorials to their renowned 19th-century leader Chief Joseph, who is buried north of the lake. The mountains are comprised of much marble and granite, and gold has also been mined here. Economic activities in the area today are forestry, farming, cattle ranching, and catering for tourism. The Wallowa–Whitman National Forest (area 9,310 sq km/3,595 sq mi), with a separate division in the Blue Mountains, has its headquarters at Baker.