You don’t have to go far to find something spectacular around Joseph. Start at the Wallowa Lake Trailhead and head up the West Fork Trail (#1820) on the right. Go about ¼ mile to where the trail forks and go right at that fork. In just a few feet you’ll see that the main trail follows left in about the same direction (upstream) that you were going at the fork, but if you want to see the falls, you’ll need to follow the less-used trail to the right (downstream, in the opposite direction of the main Chief Joseph Trail).
As you proceed down river you’ll come across many spectacular (and scary) overlooks on the river below- keep going and you’ll find where BC Creek merges with the West Fork to create an exceptional waterfall. Behind you, towards the lake, will be a little knob, climb it and get ready for great pictures of Wallowa Lake. This trail has cliffs along the way, and even though the trail is wide and safe, you don’t have to stray far to find real danger- please leash your dog and keep an eye on your little ones.
