Located along the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, Elgin sits in Indian Valley, nestled against a backdrop of mountains — the Wallowas to the east and the Blues to the west, with the Grande Ronde River flowing through.
The central camp for the Nez Perce Indians was Lochow, or “lovely little forest.” Here they harvested wild vegetables, fruit, fish and game through the summer months and smoked and dried the excess for winter use. Today, the area’s snowy winters draw snowmobilers, mushers and skiers to nearby Spout Springs Ski Area, while the warm days of summer are great for camping, hiking and water recreation.
