See one of Oregon’s ‘7 wonders’ from the steepest gondola ride is North America

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon is home to the steepest four-person gondola ride in North America, according to Travel Oregon, and the seasonal, 3,700-foot lift is set to reopen on May 18.

Built in 1970, the Wallowa Lake Tramway carries passengers from Wallowa Lake to the summit of Mount Howard. At an elevation of 8,150 feet, riders get out to panoramic views of the Wallowa Mountains — one of the ‘7 Wonders’ of Oregon.

“In just under 15 minutes you are taken on a 3,700-foot ascent to the summit of Mount Howard, where you’ll be treated to awe-inspiring views of the Wallowa Valley including the communities of Joseph, Enterprise, Lostine and Wallowa,” Travel Oregon writes.

Once passengers reach the top, people can go for a secluded mountaintop hike or stop for food and drinks at the Wallowa Lake Tramway & Summit Grill. According to county visitation numbers provided by Travel Oregon, the Wallowas are one of Oregon’s least-visited natural wonders. Each year, Wallowa County sees 97,912 visitors — a fraction of the annual visitors seen in Multnomah (2,786,516), Umatilla (468,986), Deschutes (1,586,917) and Klamath (500,108) Counties.

The Swiss-made gondola rides operate from May to September in unison with the Wallowa Lake Tramway & Summit Grill. The restaurant offers a variety of soups, sandwiches and beer from one of the tallest peaks in the Pacific Northwest. The Tramway & Summit Grill opens at 10:15 a.m. on days when the lift is running. Food service ends at 3:30 p.m. and drinks are sold until 4 p.m.

“Before or after eating at the Summit Grill & Alpine Patio, we invite you to go for a hike and enjoy over 2 miles of trails with spectacular viewpoints and an abundance of great scenery,” the Summit Grill webpage states. “The quiet peacefulness at the summit area and dynamic scenery is why the Wallowa Mountains were designated and were considered the ‘best view in Oregon’ and is truly a place to remember.”

Seasonal hours, pricing and reservations for the gondola rides are available through the Wallowa Lake Tramway website. Standard tickets for adults ages 18 to 64 cost $50. The aerial tram will run on weekends from May 18 to May 27 and on a daily basis from June 1 to Sept. 29.