Wander the West

Halfway, Oregon

	Halfway Oregon

2006

Halfway is Oregon's best kept secret. Tucked into the remote Pine Valley of northeastern Oregon, Halfway is in the shadow of the Wallowa Mountains, and is the gateway to the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. Halfway is a great destination for travellers looking for wilderness access, or just some peace and quiet.

Halfway had the distinction of becoming the first (and only?) city to ever be named after a website when the town agreed in 1999 to change its name to Half.com as a publicity stunt for the Internet retailer. For years the official town website was town.half.com, but that site has been down for months now. With the loss of that site, Halfway has literally disappeared almost completely from the Internet. It is very difficult to find any information when searching for Halfway. It's kind of ironic that the world's first dot com city has literally dropped off the internet completely.

A few artists have moved to town over the years and a few standout buildings downtown have definately recieved the artist's touch. The Pine Valley Lodge has been beautifully decorated and landscaped into a lush oasis, complete with elevated walkways between the buildings. Babbette's Gallery hosts the paintings of Babette Beatty, one of the Northwest's premier artists.

A few miles west of town is the old mining district of Cornucopia. Cornucopia was the largest-ever mining operation in Oregon and many old buildings still remain. The mine sits on the edge of the wilderness and the scenery is spectacular. For geology buffs, the rock formations are particularly interesting in this area.

Halfway is a very remote town, but is just starting to be discovered by travellers and big city refugees looking for a mountain getaway. Now is a great time to explore this hidden gem before it becomes a known tourist destination.

Note about the gallery - the true beauty of Halfway and the Pine Valley is in its spectacular mountain vistas. Unfortunately, local forest fires filled the air with smoke and obscured the views. I hope to return to get some better photos of the area.

Click here to view the Halfway Oregon photo gallery

- Aaron Walton