Eagle Creek tumbles down its canyon in the Wallowa Mountains.

UNION — A road that’s a popular route to Eagle Creek in the Wallowa Mountains is washed out and closed to traffic.

An alternate route in the same area likely will be blocked by snow for the next month or so.

Both routes to Eagle Creek start from Highway 203 between Baker City and Union.

Other roads leading to Eagle Creek from the south and east, however, are open, so visitors can access the creek as well as the Tamarack, Two Color and Boulder Park campgrounds.

The washout happened earlier this spring on the Big Creek Road, No. 67, which runs east from Medical Springs and connects to the Eagle Creek Road, No. 77.

The washout is near Basin Creek, about one mile from the Road 77 junction, according to the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.

The other main route to Eagle Creek from the west is Road 77 starting at Catherine Creek Summit along Highway 203. Snowdrifts continue to block Road 77 between Taylor Green and West Eagle Meadows, and that section likely won’t be open until around July 1, according to the Wallowa-Whitman.

In the meantime, these alternate routes to Eagle Creek are open:

• From Highway 86, about 23 miles east of Baker City, up Sparta Grade to Forshey Meadows then down Road 7015 (Empire Gulch).

• From Highway 86 at Richland, north to New Bridge to Road 7735, then take Road 7720 to Road 77.Go west on Road 77 to Eagle Creek.

• From Highway 86 at the top of the Halfway grade, about 47 miles east of Baker City, turn north on Road 77. Eagle Creek is approximately 17 miles from here.

Travelers are advised to plan accordingly when visiting parts of the forest affected by the Big Creek Road closure. For additional information about this closure call the La Grande Ranger District office at 541-962-8500.