National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center offers free Get Outdoors Day activities June 8

Organization:

Bureau of Land Management

BLM Office:

Vale District Office

Media Contact:

Larisa Bogardus

BAKER CITY, Ore. - The Bureau of Land Management’s National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center will be connecting kids to public lands and America’s natural and cultural heritage.

National Get Outdoors Day, June 8, is a fee free day and will be packed with family-friendly activities, including:

The Sagebrush Scramble 5K Fun Run/Walk at 9 a.m. with registration starting at 8 a.m. This free, non-sanctioned, 5K event traverses the Interpretive Center Trail System across a sagebrush landscape with stunning views of the Eagle Cap and Elkhorn Mountains, down to the Oregon Trail Ruts and then back up to the top of the hill, past covered wagons to the start location. Awards to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers.  

The Pioneer Pet Parade will begin at 10 a.m., with registration starting at 9:30 a.m., is open to all well-behaved pet on an 8 foot or shorter leash. The parade route is an easy, fairly level one-mile loop on pavement. There will be special prizes for pets in pioneer costumes and parade co-sponsor Best Friends of Baker will have information about how to care for pets during hikes and outdoor activities, plus what to do if you find an injured or abandoned pet in the outdoors. 

Other scheduled activities for the day include Trail Bingo for all ages at noon; guided nature hikes at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and gold panning at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.

There will also be open activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., including meditation on the mountain, birding with local Audubon Society members, honeybee and pollinator education, a self-guided geology walk, fire prevention information and a plant identification display.

Lastly, download the Agents of Discovery app and try out the pioneer missions—games, activities and fun lessons based on the trail system.

A complete schedule of National Get Outdoors Day activities, plus more information about NHOTIC can be found at https://www.blm.gov/nhotic or by calling 541-523-1843

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is located just east of Baker City. Take Exit 302 from Interstate 84 onto Oregon Highway 86 and proceed about five miles.  NHOTIC is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.  Admission for adults is $8.00; seniors $4.50; and children 15 and under are free. America the Beautiful Interagency Park Passes are accepted.

For information on other events in Baker County, Oregon, please call the chamber of commerce at 1-800-523-1235.


The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.