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Historic Columbia River Highway at Crown Point.
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Historic Columbia River Highway ...
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The "Historic Columbia River Highway" (HCRH) was once part of the "Columbia River Highway" system (Oregon Highway 30 and Interstate 84), which extended from Astoria to the Idaho border. The HCRH was the original road which traversed the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side, from Troutdale - 14 miles east of Portland, to
The Dalles - 88 miles east of Portland. The Highway was the first scenic highway constructed in the United States.
The design and development were the products of Samuel Hill, lawyer and entrepreneur, and Samuel C. Lancaster, an engineer and landscape architect.
Built between 1913 and 1922, the Highway was patterned after the Auxenstrasse in Swizerland. Throughout the 74-mile route, the road grades are no greater than 5 percent, and no curves have less than a 100-foot turning radius.
Today the Highway is owned by the Oregon Department of Transportation and was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1983. In 1984, the American Society of Civil Engineers declared the road a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark, and in 1998 the the road was designated an All-American Road.
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The Highway ...
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Historic Columbia River Highway.
View from Vista House, Crown Point.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Historic Columbia River Highway, at Multnomah Falls.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Fall colors, Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Fall colors, Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Near Rowena Crest, Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Near Rowena Crest, Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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1912 ...
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Bronze Plaque for the beginning of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Located at the Starvation Creek Rest Area.
Image taken September 29, 2006.
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1916 ...
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The official opening of the Columbia River Highway from Portland to Hood River
marked the completion of a tremendous feat in highway construction. On June
6, 1916, dedication of the highway took place at
Crown Point.
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Crown Point and Vista House.
View from Portland's Woman Forum Scenic View (formerly Chanticleer Point).
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Today ...
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All of the western 21.6 miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway, from Troutdale to Dodson, is original except at
Oneonta Gorge Creek, where in 1948 it was slightly realigned to bypass Oneonta Tunnel and cross Oneonta Gorge Creek on a 1948 reinforced-concrete girder span. All of the engineering features associated with this portion of the highway, including the original Oneonta Gorge Creek Bridge, the Oneonta Tunnel, and Interstate 84's Toothrock Tunnel, are intact.
Portions of the Highway between Dodson and Hood River were sacrificed in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s for construction of the water-level route that became Interstate 84. Those discontinuous segments that remain between Dodson and Hood River, however, possess much of their original construction, including masonry walls, bridges, viaducts, and pavement. The Oregon Department of Transportation is restoring several of these segments for non-motorized use, creating the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
In 2002 the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail was designated
a National Recreation Trail .
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Steigerwald Lake and Point Vancouver, as seen from Vista House, Crown Point, Oregon. The Historic Columbia River Highway is in the foreground.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Roadhouses along the Highway ...
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In the early days of the Historic Columbia River Highway roadhouses along the route were the establishments to visit, attracting the rich and famous. Chanticleer Inn, now the location of the Portland Women's Forum Scenic Viewpoint, was only 22 miles from Portland. Crown Point Chalet overlooked Vista House, an of-its-day rest stop. Latourell Chalet was established in 1914 and had a brief 3-month history, and Forest Hall and Bridal Veil Lodge were located near Bridal Veil. The still-in-existance Multnomah Falls Lodge, once known as "Simmons-By-The-Falls", was located at the beautiful Multnomah Falls, and furthest along the route was the Columbia Gorge Hotel still quite popular today.
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Multnomah Falls Lodge, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Columbia Gorge Hotel, Hood River, Oregon.
Image taken May 10, 2006.
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Views Along the Highway ...
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Bishops Cap ...
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Bishops Cap, Shepperd's Dell Highway, ca.1920
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, Bishops Cap and Shepperd's Dell Highway. Caption along the top reads "Scene at Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Ore.". Sand Island and the Columbia River are in the background. Published by The Oregon News Co., Portland, Oregon
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Bishops Cap is just visible, from Shepperd's Dell, Historic Columbia River Highway.
Trees are blocking view, but the basalt feature known as "Bishops Cap" is just visible along right side of road.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Bridal Veil Falls and Overlook ...
Bridal Veil Falls is one of the many falls in Oregon which can be seen along the Historic Columbia River Highway, just east of Portland, Oregon, and bordering the Columbia River. Unfortunately at the time of this web authors visit (2004, 2005), the trail to the falls was closed for maintenance. A second trail which loops to the Columbia River was a nice 1/2 mile hike with spectacular views.
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Bridal Veil Falls, Oregon.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Sand Island from Bridal Veil Overlook.
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Crown Point and Vista House ...
One favorite location to visit on the Historic Columbia River Highway is
Crown Point and
Vista House, built in 1916 as a rest stop along the highway. Crown Point and Vista House can only be reached via the Highway.
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Vista House at Crown Point.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Vista House and Crown Point.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Eagle Creek ...
Eagle Creek is located on the Oregon side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 150, at the upstream end of the Bonneville Dam. Eagle Creek was the location of the first U.S. Forest Service Campground, established in 1916. Today Eagle Creek is one of the most popular hikes in the Columbia Gorge. Located on the right bank of Eagle Creek is the Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery. The bridge crossing Eagle Creek was once part of the Historic Columbia River Highway (HCRH), and is now part of the off-ramp from Interstate 84. The concrete-arch bridge is the only HCRH bridge faced with stone.
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Eagle Creek Bridge, Oregon.
Upstream side.
Image taken September 16, 2006.
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Sitting area, Eagle Creek Bridge, Oregon.
Image taken September 16, 2006.
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Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail ...
With the construction of Interstate 84, the
Mosier Twin Tunnels, once a part of the Historic Columbia River Highway, were closed and sealed. In July 2000, with help of Senator Mark Hatfield, the twin tunnels were re-opened for bicycle and foot traffic, and are now part of a 4.6-mile-long
"Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail".
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Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
View along east part of the trail, between Mosier and the Twin Tunnels.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Horsetail Falls ...
Horsetail Falls is a classic example of a horsetail formation. The 176-foot-tall lower falls is located on Horsetail Creek and can be viewed from a turnout on the
Historic Columbia River Highway, 2 1/2 miles east of
Multnomah Falls. The name "Horsetail Falls" has been used since Pioneer days.
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Horsetail Falls.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Latourell Falls ...
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Latourell Falls.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Historic Columbia River Highway Bridge across Latourell Creek.
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Mosier Twin Tunnels ...
The
"Twin Tunnels" of Mosier were a part of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Built in the early 1920s, the tunnels were closed and sealed after the construction of Interstate 84. In 2000, with the help of Senator Mark Hatfield, the tunnels were once again opened as part of the 4.6 mile Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, open to foot and bicycle traffic only.
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East Portal, Mosier Tunnels.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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East Portal, Mosier Twin Tunnels.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Multnomah Falls, Benson Bridge, and the Lodge ...
Multnomah Falls, at 620 feet, is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States. Nearly two million visitors a year come to see Oregon's number one tourist place. Benson Bridge was built in 1914 across the falls, and the Multnomah Falls Lodge, at one time a stopover on the Historic Columbia River Highway (HCRH), was built in 1925. The HCRH crosses Multnomah Creek below the falls.
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Multnomah Falls and Benson Bridge, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Multnomah Falls Lodge, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Multnomah Creek, Oregon flowing beneath the Historic Columbia River Highway Bridge.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Oneonta Gorge ...
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Bridge over Oneonta Creek, Oregon.
View is looking downstream.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Oneonta Gorge, Oregon.
View is looking upstream.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Oneonta Gorge tunnel location, Historic Columbia River Highway.
View looking across old bridge at what was once the west portal of the Oneonta Tunnel.
Image taken October 22, 2005.
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Portland Woman's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point) ...
Once called "Chanticleer Point" and the home of a world-famous Inn, the location now is known as the Portland Woman's Forum Scenic Viewpoint.
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View from Portland's Woman Forum Scenic View (formerly Chanticleer Point).
Image taken October 11, 2004.
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Looking upstream at the Columbia River Gorge and Vista House, Crown Point, Oregon.
View from the Portland Women's Forum Overlook (Chanticleer Point)
Image taken October 10, 2004.
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Rowena Crest ...
Rowena Crest is on the Oregon side of the Columbia River and is part of the Rowena Gap basalt flows. The Historic Columbia River Highway passes over Rowena Crest, and contains an impressive loop in the eastern side.
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Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon.
View from Rowena Crest.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Rowena Dell ...
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Historic Columbia River Highway and Rowena Dell, Oregon.
View from bridge on the Historic Columbia River Highway looking downstream towards the Columbia River. Mount Adams, Washington, is on the skyline right.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Sandy River ...
At the turn of the century the Sandy River was the beginning of Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway. The Highway began at the 6th Street Bridge, located around Sandy River Mile (RM) 5. As the highway improved the "Crown Point Highway" was routed across a bridge further north, closer to the Columbia's mouth, at RM 3.
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Penny Postcard, Sandy River Bridge, ca.1915.
Sandy River, Oregon, and the Stark Street Bridge, located at Sandy River Mile 6. Caption reads "Sandy River Bridge at Auto Club Grounds - Beginning of the Columbia River Highway, Oregon". The Columbia River Highway was built between 1913 and 1922, at the beginning of the automobile age. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Sandy River Bridge, Oregon, looking downstream.
Bridge across the Sandy River, located at Sandy River Mile 3, today part of the "Crown Point Highway".
Image taken June 27, 2004.
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Shepperd's Dell ...
The Shepperd's Dell Bridge is a graceful reinforced concrete deck arch with a main arch span of 100 feet and consists of two parabolic arch ribs with open spandrels. The bridge was designed by K.R. Billner under the supervison of Samuel C. Lancaster. The structure was constructed by the Pacific Bridge Company, Portland, at a cost of $10,800. A stairwell and trail to the Shepperd's Dell Falls is at the east end of the bridge. Shepperd's Dell Bridge is located in Shepperd's Dell State Natural Area. The land was donated as parkland by the owner, George Shepperd, a local farmer in memory of his wife.
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Shepperd's Dell Highway, Oregon.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, Shepperd's Dell Highway. Caption along the bottom reads
"305. Shepperd's Dell, Columbia River Highway, Oregon".
#305, Chas. S. Lipschuetz Co., Portland, Oregon
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Shepperd's Dell Bridge, Oregon.
Part of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Wahkeena Falls ...
Wahkeena Falls is located one-half mile west of the more-famous Multnomah Falls. A short trail links the two.
Wahkeena Falls is 242 feet high and is a "tiered" falls.
These falls were once known as "Gordon Falls" for F.E. Gordon, a pioneer landowner. Confusion arose between Gordon Creek near the Sandy River and Gorton Creek near Cascade Locks. In 1915 the Mazamas were appointed to name points on the Columbia River Highway and clear up confusion of similar names in the area. Wahkeena Falls and Wahkeena Creek were chosen.
"Wahkeena" comes from the Yakama Tribe and means "most beautiful".
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Wahkeena Falls.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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Wahkeena Falls.
Image taken March 6, 2005.
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More about the Columbia River Highway ...
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Maryhill Loops ...
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Maryhill Loops, Washington.
Image taken April 24, 2004.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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