The Southern Elkhorn Mountain/Powder River Basin recreation area is located south of the Anthony Lakes Highway (Forest Road 73) to the Monument Rock Wilderness area. It includes all of the developed recreation sites and trails in the Blue and Elkhorn Mountains generally west of Baker City and Unity, Oregon.
Popular recreation areas include Anthony Lakes, Phillips Lake, North Fork John Day Wilderness (Baldy Unit), the Elkhorn Scenic Byway, the North Fork John Day River, the North Powder Wild and Scenic River, Dooley Mountain, Monument Rock Wilderness, the North and South Forks of Burnt River, the campgrounds along Highway 26, and Camp Creek. It also includes parts of the old Baker and Unity Ranger Districts that have been incorporated into the Whitman Ranger District.
Local communities that have a variety of services (i.e. fuel, lodging, stores and/or restaurants) are Baker City, Sumpter, Granite, Unity, Greenhorn and Haines. These communities are within one hour of the recreation area.