Aside from one steep climb up from the Minam River, this is just a long gradual uphill from the far north end of the Wallowa Mountains and finishing at Standley Guard Station deep in the wilderness. You start from the Minam River Trail, which has some difficulty getting to or you can pick it up about midway from the Cougar Ridge Trailhead. It is not a well used trail, but is mostly visible with a few sections of several trees across the trail. The guard station is not open to the public, nor is it manned.
There is no road access to the guard station so plan accordingly. You would need to head down the Standley Ridge Trail to Bearwallow for the nearest road. There is also very little opportunity for water once you leave the Minam River. The guard station has a spring.
The Forest Service is noting the trail scection from Minam River up to the Cougar Ridge Trailhead as Division Camp Trail #1649, but entire trail here is on top of Cougar Ridge as a continuous track so I'm sticking with that trail name for the whole thing.
Trail notes if you start all the way at the bottom of the Minam River Trail
- 0.0mi. Start by fording the Minam River and picking up the trail on the other side. It starts as singletrack. If the river is too swift to cross, you will have to go to the top of Minam Grade and walk down the gravel road to the bridge that is 2.8 miles into this route).
- 1.1 Singletrack ends as the trail joins a road near Squaw Creek. Keep following the road along the river.
- 2.8 Bridge across the river that goes up to the top of Minam Grade. Continue along the road beside the river.
- 7.1 Arrive at Meads Flat, the old trailhead where singletrack begins along the river.
- 8.4 Look for the trail junction for the beginning of the Cougar Ridge Trail veering left up the mountain.
- 9.3 Trail gains the ridge and begins a more gradual climb on the ridge top.
- 12.5 Intersection with the High Ridge Trail at 5,665' elevation. Go right to stay on the Cougar Ridge Trail. The High Ridge Trail goes left (north) out to a spring and eventually down to a road.
- 12.8 Trail turns sharply left on what is an intersection where the old faded trail continues straight. Stay left and travel toward the Cougar Ridge Trailhead. The trail becomes an old roadbed.
- 13.1 Look for an intersection to the right, which is the continuation of the Cougar Ridge Trail. The route here shows the trail going out to the Cougar Ridge Trailhead but you can skip that if you want.
- 16.3 There is a short trail to the left that heads to some corrals and a spring.
- 21.5 Arrive at Standley Guard Station (7,262' elevation). There is a spring near the guard station.
