Seventy-nine miles on paved Highway 86; allow 1 1/2 hours for travel and 1-2 hours at the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and other stops.

Pastoral views and mining history are highlights of the early part of this Byway segment. Gold strikes brought the first settlers here in the late 1800s. Mines employed large numbers of people, including many Chinese laborers. Further along the route follow the Powder River up stream through rolling sagebrush-covered plateaus. Oregon Trail routes cross your path. Virtue Flat, next to the route near Baker City, is the site of a popular off- highway vehicle trail complex.