44 | JUNE 2026 SPECIAL SECTION
Top: Riding east on U. S. 395 through Malheur National Forest. Bottom: The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest on U. S. 26 has wideopen landscapes.
State Route 19, meeting up again with the John Day River, which demanded a swim. The Service Creek Stage Stop offers raft rentals, cold drinks, a tasty lunch, and a view of the river.
Weaving along the rolling road flanked by the John Day River, I crested reddish brown, tree-dotted canyons east to State Route 402, passing two small towns, Spray and Kimberly. After reaching Long Creek, I headed south on U. S. Route 395, climbing into Malheur National Forest, with the elevation rising to 5,000 feet and flowing, ebbing curves through pungent forests of juniper, pine, and fir along the way. Mount Vernon, where U. S. 395 meets U. S. Route 26, offers stores, gas, a laundromat, and post office. Nine miles east on U. S. 26 is the town of John Day, home to Oregon’ s much-loved Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site. A historic Chinese dry goods store and apothecary offer a glimpse into the past glory of this former gold mining town.
John Day sits at 3,000 feet and is cool with sweeping views of the Strawberry Range. A few miles east, my nostrils filled with earthy scents of freshly cultivated fertile green farmland. The road flattens and widens, sprinkled with an occasional dilapidated dusty gray barn on the high grass prairieland as you approach Prairie City. A sweeping S-turn surprised me, as did the giant roadside Conestoga covered wagon. There is no other city on U. S. 26 all the
RESOURCES:
• Oregon Tourism: TravelOregon. com
• Champoeg State Heritage Area: StateParks. Oregon. gov
• Albany: AlbanyVisitors. com
• Newport: DiscoverNewport. com
• Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area: StateParks. Oregon. gov
• Menagerie Wilderness: FS. USDA. gov
• Sisters: ExploreSisters. com
• John Day Fossil Beds National Monument: NPS. gov / joda
• Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site: StateParks. Oregon. gov
• Prairie City / Grant County: GCOregonLive. com