The Bear Creek cache series follows the Bear Creek trail south from the trailhead until the path crosses into the Eagle Cap Wilderness. Bear Creek caches can be found along the trail to the wilderness boundary, a distance of 3.7 miles. The trail follows one of the main routes uses by the Nez Perce Indians to access the Eagle Cap Mountains. Bear Creek, or Wah-Na-Mah as the Nez Perce called the stream, runs along the entire trail. The scenery is beautiful in this glacially formed drainage. Enjoy the hike and the hunt.
The Bear Creek Trailhead is located nine miles south of Wallowa at the Boundary Campground. Turn off Highway 82 at the west end of Wallowa and follow the signs to Bear Creek and Boundary Campground. Parking is located at the trailhead along with a loading ramp, hitch rails for stock, and interpretive signs. Campsites can be found at the nearby campground which offers picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets.
An early settler named H.K. Chamberlain homesteaded along the lower reaches of the stream. However, he frequently made trips upstream and one year trapped 12 bears near this site. Hence, the stream became known as "Bear Creek." The cache is located very near the path between the stream and the trail.