Baker City, Oregon is located in the valley that gave pioneers of the Oregon Trail their first glimpse of the promise of the Oregon Territory. Gold was discovered here by miners in 1861. Several mining towns sprang up nearby, with the extraction of more than $4.5 million in gold from the Baker Valley. Many historic buildings with ornate architecture from the gold rush days can still be seen. Baker City is surrounded by recreational area with the Blue Mountains to the west and the Wallowa Mountains to the east. Points of interest nearby are the national Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center, The Oregon Trail Regional Museum, Hells Canyon National Recreational Area, and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. Baker City is located between Ontario and La Grande on I-84.
