8
community
january5
2017
Worth the Trip: Historic Columbia River Highway
A winter drive on old
Highway 30 in the
Columbia Gorge can be
a unique experience
By Scott Laird
Recently I had an opportunity to
drive east of Portland and spend some
time in the Columbia River Gorge Na-
tional Scenic Area, specifi cally driving
along old Highway 30, known as the
Historic Columbia River Highway.
While Teddy Roosevelt called
this “the most remarkable road engineer-
ing in the United States, which for scenic
grandeur is not equaled anywhere,” back
when it fi rst opened (and he was right),
the road remains a remarkable feat and
has lost none of its scenic charm and un-
equaled beauty.
While heading into the Colum-
bia Gorge in the winter, with its icy and
hard blowing winds and treacherous
driving conditions, may sound like a
nightmare to some (and you should defi -
nitely plan your trip when the conditions
are safe), there are several advantages to
heading into the Gorge during the win-
ter and spring.
For starters, the crowds will
be reduced signifi cantly. 2016 was the
100 th anniversary of the opening of the
Columbia River Highway, and as ex-
pected there were centennial celebra-
tions throughout the past summer. 2017
is now a perfect time to head there if
avoiding crowds is part of your goal.
In addition, the rainy winter
season and the spring runoff make this
a fantastic time of year to fully enjoy all
the waterfalls along the route, which is
one of the main reasons to take this jour-
ney.
The Columbia River Gorge was
named a National Scenic Area in 1986
by President Ronald Reagan and encom-
passes 292,500 acres in both Oregon
and Washington managed by the U.S.
Department of Forestry. The Columbia
River Gorge is considered one of Or-
egon’s Seven Wonders, along with Mt.
Hood, the Oregon Coast, the Painted
Hills, Smith Rock, the Wallowa’s and of
course, Crater Lake.
The Columbia River Highway
is a 75 mile long route beginning in
The view of the Columbia River Gorge from Vista House.
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Troutdale and stretching east as far
as The Dalles. It was built between
1913 and 1922, and was designated
U.S. Route 30 in 1926 when the U.S.
highway system was established. It was
bypassed by Interstate 84 in the 1950s
but stretches of it remain open and are
maintained by the Oregon Department
of Transportation.
Incidentally, U.S. Highway 30,
well known to Columbia County drivers,
is the third longest highway in the U.S.
and, despite long stretches of shared
road with interstates, today has not been
decommissioned and still runs coast-
to-coast from Astoria to Atlantic City.
Large portions of Highway 30 were
originally included in the Lincoln High-
way, the fi rst road to cross America, run-
ning from New York to San Francisco.
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the top of the Gorge on a winding road,
joining the historic highway before stop-
ping at the Portland Women’s Forum
State Scenic Viewpoint for an amazing
view of Vista House with the Gorge in
the background. If the view looks famil-
iar, it probably is; this is likely the most
photographed spot in the Gorge, but well
worth the stop and a great place to begin
your trip.
If the weather is clear you might
consider taking a small side excursion,
turning off the historic highway just past
the viewpoint onto Larch Mountain
Road and driving 15 miles to the Sher-
rard Viewpoint, where you can see glori-
ous views of all fi ve of our big moun-
tains: Hood, Adams, Jefferson, Rainier
and St. Helens.
Next you will want to stop at
continued on page 9
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While there are many scenic and
recreational opportunities to enjoy in the
Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area that
can be reached much easier and quicker
by taking Interstate 84, the drive along
the Historic Columbia River Highway
really shouldn’t be missed. The slow and
winding road through forests, ferns, and
farms provides a much more intimate
experience, offering unique and breath-
taking views of the cliffs and walls that
create the gorge, along with an up-close
and personal waterfall experience where
you can actually feel the cool spray of
the water on your face.
For the full adventure, start in
historic downtown Troutdale as the high-
way follows the scenic Sandy River and
slowly climbs to the start of the Gorge.
For a more dramatic effect, take I-84 to
exit 22 at Corbett and quickly climb to
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