"King of Roads" Columbia River Highway - Portland, Oregon

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"King of Roads" Columbia River Highway - Portland, Oregon

This stunningly beautiful highway opened in 1916 to claims of its scenic grandeur and remarkable engineering, this is what Teddy Roosevelt said about the highway.  It got the name “King of Roads” from the Illustrated London News.  The roadway winds through the area with mossy stone walls and graceful viaducts and going past dozens of waterfalls.

Taking this road for a scenic drive will mean about 1 -2 hours on a narrow, winding 70 mile road.  It is best to drive in the spring for the best waterfall views, fall for best weather, mid-week for fewest crowds and bright fall colors.  Winter storms in the area can be hazardous.

Travel Options: If you travel form Troutdale where you will take exit 17 off I-84 and follow signs south to the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The highway will climb to the towns of Springdale and Corbett with their dazzling peaks at Mt. Hood.  You will first see the gorge at the Portland Women’s Forum State Park at Chanticleer Point.  This is the former site of the Chanticleer Inn, where the highway’s masterminds met in 1913 to plan the road.

You will head into a mossy rain forest, series of graceful figure-8 loops that gently drops you 600 feet.  Going just 5 miles you will see four dramatic cataracts, those being: Latourell, Shepperd’s Dell, Bridal Veil and the Wahkeena falls.  You can take a foot path to each for a closer look.  Then, hold on, you are about to see Multnomah Falls, the granddaddy of them all!

If you want to begin a second leg of the Historic Highway you can continue on i-84 east to Exit 76 and follow the signs to the agricultural community of Mosier.  Beyond Mosier is the Rowena Plateau, the site of the Tom McCall Preservation which is a 230 acre refuge for a diversity of plants and animals.  Here you can look at wildflowers, soaring hawks and other wildlife.

The Historic Highway ends at The Dalles, a richly historic town that you will enjoy visiting.  The community abounds in unique murals and historic buildings, including the Fort Dalles Surgeon’s Quarters.  This area is where the Native Americans gathered before the area was overrun with pioneers.  End you journey with a visit to the new Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Historical Museum at Crate’s Point and learn about the Gorge’s entire 40 million year history.

Information: Phone 541-386-2333 or the Dalles Chamber at 800-255-3385.