The Joseph Branch Trail Consortium (JBTC) is working with the City of Wallowa and the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland to collaboratively establish a pocket park trailhead and a 1.08-mile trail section in this beautiful, rural community. The pocket park trailhead serves both residents and visitors by providing information about the trail, a covered gazebo, ADA-compliant picnic tables and benches, a bicycle parking rack and bicycle maintenance station, and more. Located near the foot bridge over the Wallowa River that leads to the 320-acre Homeland grounds, the trailhead will enhance access to an existing 3-mile hiking trail up Tick Hill.

FUNDING
JBTC has received several grants to support development of the in-city trail section and pocket park trailhead in Wallowa: A $190,000 ODOT Transportation Growth Management grant is funding refinement planning of the full Minam-to-Wallowa section of the trail, including the 1.08-mile, in-town trail section. Construction of the Wallowa pocket park trailhead is funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon. A grant from the Roundhouse Foundation is funding amenities along the in-town trail section, a grant from the Wallowa Country Cultural Trust Coalition will help fund interpretive signage, and a grant from the Wildhorse Foundation is funding initial construction of the 1.08-mile in-town trail section.

REFINEMENT PLANNING UNDERWAY
In partnership with the City of Wallowa, Wallowa County, Oregon Dept. of Transportation, and Wallowa Union Railroad Authority a Refinement Plan for the 15+ mile Minam-to-Wallowa segment of the Joseph Branch Trail has been created. The Refinement Plan addresses alignment, safety, concept design features, crossings/connections, materials, and adjacent landowner concerns. As of summer 2025, the Refinement Plan for the Joseph Branch Trail-with-Rail from Minam to Wallowa has been unanimously approved by the Wallowa City Council for adoption into the cities Transportation System Plan and efforts are underway to get the Refinement Plan adopted into the Wallowa County Transportation System Plan as well. This aspiration plan lays a solid foundation for the future of the trail-with-rail through the between Wallowa River canyon between Wallowa and Minam.

LOCATION MAP GRAPHIC (see below)
The study area for this Refinement Plan starts at the eastern Wallowa city limits, connects through downtown Wallowa, and includes the railroad corridor and contiguous public lands for 15+ miles west to the community of Minam (at the confluence of the Wallowa and Minam rivers). The project area also includes a future pocket park trailhead on Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland grounds near the intersection of E. 4th Street & N. Storie Street in the City of Wallowa.