Imagine you’re floating the Wild and Scenic **Wallowa River** in Northeast Oregon. Forested slopes of ponderosa pine, native bunchgrasses and exposed basalt surround you. The soothing scent of sunbaked pine needles mixes with the loamy, earthen smell of moss-covered rocks along the riverbank. Your boat smoothly glides through the snow-fed river, creating a faint sound that mixes into nature’s own soundtrack of wind, rushing water and the occasional hint of its hidden inhabitants. You take a breath and think to yourself: This is what it feels like to be in nature.

Experiencing nature is a welcome embrace to your senses. In the busy, hectic world that consumes most of our day-to-day, it’s also a needed respite for the soul. Usually, being truly off the grid requires days of effort — whether on foot or boat. However, with the addition of a new rail-shuttle service to accompany its fleet of fishing boats and whitewater rafts, the **Minam Store** in Eastern Oregon’s Wallowa County is now able to give boaters and anglers a first-of-its-kind opportunity to experience wilderness in a single day.

### From River to Rails and Back

The Minam Store is nestled at the confluence of the **Minam** and **Wallowa** rivers, approximately 33 miles northeast of La Grande and 31 miles northwest of Enterprise on **Oregon Route 82**. Store owners **Grant and Lottie Richie** bought the historic store in 2011 and have been offering visitors fly-fishing and camping gear, food and recreational trips to the region’s best whitewater and angling ever since.

From the store, the Wallowa enters a 10-mile roadless stretch, designated Wild and Scenic, before it empties into the **Grande Ronde River**. Until now, the only way to access this section had been through multi-day trips. Starting summer 2024, however, weekend visitors will be able to float or fish the river in a day thanks to the Minam Store’s new rail-return offering.

The setup is unique and may be the first of its kind in the country. After spending the day on the river, guests hop in a passenger rail car towed by a Suburban modified to run on rail tracks. The railway itself, which mostly hugs the river, is no longer active with freight. The one-hour return also gives boaters a chance to view the pristine river from a different perspective, and it’s a stark departure from the usual slog back on dirt roads and highways after a typical river trip.

Once back at the store, visitors can cap the day with a meal or beverage from the Minam Store’s **food cart**, which offers tasty burgers, brats, pork tacos and the best breakfast burritos in a 50-mile radius. Or grab an ice cream from the store and recap the trip from the newly converted outdoor seating area on the abandoned bridge abutment overlooking the river.

### Fishing for Rainbows and Steelhead

With the installation of the rail shuttle, anglers short on time or who simply don’t want to commit to a multiday trip now have an option to experience some of the Pacific Northwest’s best fly-fishing on this section of the Wallowa River. The Wallowa provides spawning habitat for spring and fall **chinook**, summer **steelhead** and coveted **rainbow trout**. Unlike many other notable rivers for angling, the Wallowa also boasts a longer season, with the fishing still excellent long after the water levels begin to taper.

For those wanting a longer trip, the Minam Store also guides multiday trips, from single-night excursions up to **four nights and five days** on the Wallowa and Grande Ronde. With experienced guides and minimal crowds, anglers can expect to be in for a treat no matter their skill level.

### Whitewater Rafting for All Skill Levels

The Minam Store has something for everyone when it comes to whitewater rafting. The Wallowa River’s approachable Class II rapids are family-friendly with enough excitement and splash to ensure a good time, and the new rail return means boaters can experience the thrill in just an afternoon.

For the truly adventurous, the Minam Store offers 3- to 5-day float trips on the Grande Ronde, **Lower Salmon** and **Snake** rivers — a wild ride of Class IIIs and IVs in **Hells Canyon**, North America’s deepest gorge at nearly 8,000 feet.

Gastronomically inclined boaters may also choose the **Wine & Food on the River** trips. Top chefs and winemakers join the Minam Store’s guides for multicourse meals and to share the backstory of each vintage along the way. Wine & Food trips are offered on the Grande Ronde, Lower Salmon and Snake river trips.

Whether you’re after the thrill of whitewater, attempting to outwit a chinook or simply want to experience the true feeling of wilderness, the Minam Store can make it happen, no matter how much — or how little — time you have.