HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY:
Ukiah is a small, rural eastern Oregon community of 230 people located along Camas Creek in the heart of the Blue Mountains. The post office was established on September 22, 1890. E.B. Gambee, an early settler, named the town after his hometown of Ukiah, California.
The wide-open valley and rolling grasslands surrounding Ukiah were originally called Camas Prairie by the Indian tribes who came here to gather wild blue camas roots. The lower-elevation grasslands transition into forest managed by the Umatilla National Forest with a diverse mix of habitats ranging from juniper-sagebrush-bunchgrass communities in the Potamus Creek area to subalpine fir-white bark pine habitats at higher elevations in the Vinegar Hill-Indian Rock Scenic Area. Take a step back in time to Ukiah, where folks have a slower paced life-style. You'll find waves and friendly smiles from folks you don't even know.
To get here travel 50 miles south from Pendleton on Highway 395, or 56 miles northwest from La Grande on Highway 244. Both routes are maintained and open year-round.
North Fork John Day Ranger District
