Campground Host

Minam State Recreation Area is located in the picturesque canyons on the Northern end of the Hell’s Canyon Scenic Byway. Visitors to this area regularly enjoy fishing, rafting, and wildlife viewing along the Wild and Scenic Wallowa River. Following the gravel road north from the highway exit, more than two miles of river access can be found before the road ends at the quiet 22-site campground. Wildlife seen in the area include rattlesnakes, deer, elk, bear, cougar, eagles, resident blue herons, and the occasional wayward cows.

Host positions at this site are available from 1 to 3 months in length and offer a unique opportunity to help with a wide variety of tasks. First and foremost is helping maintain the grounds by mowing, weedeating, picking up litter, restocking restrooms on the ranger’s days off, restocking firewood, and cleaning campsites. For those interested in history, ecology, recreation, and other area topics, opportunities exist to greet visitors at the newly renovated Minam Station Visitor Center (or if that’s not your interest, simply open and close the doors each day to let the information inside speak for itself). Due to the wide area covered at this site, the host will be expected to operate park-owned gas vehicles and UTV.

The full-hookup camp host site is just off Hwy 82 next to the Visitor Center. WiFi is available for hosts, but other services are very limited at this remote site. The nearest towns of Wallowa and Elgin are 15minute drives and the larger town of La Grande is a 40-minute drive away. May is a time of spring changes here, with weather varying from chilly spring nights in the 40s to cool summer days in the 70s and river flows that rise with the temperatures.