The Wallowa Lake Tramway is an aerial cable gondola lift near Joseph, Oregon, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest of the United States, named for Wallowa Lake. The tram runs from the floor of the Wallowa Valley to the top of Mount Howard.^[1] It travels to an elevation of 8,000 feet (2,400 m) above sea level and allows for views of the Eagle Cap Wilderness area and the rest of the Wallowa Mountains.^[2]

The tramway was built in 1968,^[3] and opened for service in 1970.^[4] In June 1992, a malfunction caused the evacuation of the lift's passengers who were then flown by helicopter down the mountain, with no injuries reported.^[5] This was the first safety incident for the tram.^[4] Later that year, the tramway was used to haul fire fighters fighting a forest fire to the top of the mountain.^[6] In 1999, tram owners explored expanding the tramway to include a winter resort.^[7]

Twenty-five towers are used along the route to support the cables of tramway.^[3] The Wallowa Lake Tramway rises 3,700 feet (1,100 m) vertically,^[8] starting at the 4,200-foot (1,300 m) level of the lake.^[9] At the top of the gondola ride, an elevation of 8,150 feet (2,480 m), is Oregon's highest restaurant, the Alpine Grill.^[10] The Tramway runs May through October.^[11] It formerly ran on the weekends in winter for skiing and snowshoeing.^[12] The four-person gondolas take fifteen minutes to make a one-way trip.^[8][12]

The tram is the steepest four-person gondola in North America, ending at the 8,256-foot (2,516 m) peak of Mount Howard.^[13] The tram is operated on 115 acres (0.47 km²) of land leased from the Forest Service through a special national forest permit.^[7] At the summit one can view wildlife,^[1] and wildflowers in an alpine meadow. Parts of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho are visible from the summit. Two miles (3 km) of hiking trails are available.^[4]