Attractions

Though the lake and mountains are the main attractions of this area, the presence of several bronze foundries in Joseph and Enterprise has turned the area into something of a Western art community. Along Main Street in Joseph, you'll find several galleries that specialize in bronze statues and Western art. You'll also find more than half a dozen life-size bronze wildlife and Western art sculpture in sidewalk gardens along Main Street. Joseph's Valley Bronze of Oregon has a gallery at 18 S. Main St. (tel. 541/432-7445; www.valleybronze.com), and is one of the largest bronze foundries in the country. Tours of the foundry ($15 per person) are offered daily and begin at the gallery. Parks Bronze, 331 Golf Course Rd., Enterprise (tel. 541/426-4595; www.parksbronze.com), offers foundry tours Monday through Thursday. Tours are $10 per person, with a $30 minimum. For more information on area artists, visit the website of Joseph Oregon Artists (www.josephoregonartists.com).

At the Wallowa County Museum, 110 S. Main St., Joseph (tel. 541/432-6095; www.co.wallowa.or.us/museum/index.html), you can see pioneer artifacts, displays on the Nez Perce Indians, and other items donated to the museum by local families. This old-fashioned community museum is housed in a former bank building and is open daily from 10am to 5pm between Memorial Day and the third weekend in September.

On Saturdays between June and the end of October (and a few other dates between Mother's Day and early Sept), you can go for a train ride on the Eagle Cap Excursion Train (tel. 800/323-7330 or 541/963-9000; www.eaglecaptrain.com). Trains run between Wallowa and Joseph or between Elgin and Minam, and fares range from $65 to $70 for adults, $55 to $60 for seniors, and $25 to $30 for children.