Historic Columbia River Highway
Westward Ho!!

Departure: The Dalles, Oregon
Destination: Portland, Oregon
Time to allow: 1 day

Follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as you travel west across Oregon, starting at The Dalles and ending in Portland.

Day 1

  • Start: The Dalles

    Start your journey at The Dalles, the largest city in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Much of the town's past remains in its 19th-century churches and homes which you can see as you drive through town to get on State Route 14. Recreation here includes windsurfing, white-water rafting, fishing, and camping.

  • Stop 1: Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum

    From previous stop: 10 minutes / 5 mi (8.0 km)
    Directions:

    From the Dalles, follow US 30 west until you reach Discovery Dr. Turn right onto Discovery Dr. and follow it approximately half a mile until you reach the Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Museum.
    Suggested time at this stop: 2 hours

    A short drive from The Dalles you will find the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Plan to spend at least two hours here as the complex actually consists of two museums, the Gorge Discovery Center, official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and the Wasco County Museum, which preserves and shares more than 10,000 years of colorful history for a county that was once the largest in the nation. Together they provide interactive exhibits, living history exhibits and movies about the human and natural history of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Wasco County.

  • Navigation: Rowena Crest

    From previous stop: 12 minutes / 6 mi (9.6 km)
    Directions:

    From the discovery center, get back on US 30 and follow it west approximately six miles until you reach the Rowna Crest Overlook.

    The Rowena Crest Viewpoint at Mayer State Park is the eastern companion to the Crown Point Overlook. The dramatic views of the Rowena Loops and the dry eastern landscape are not to be missed.

  • Navigation: Mosier

    From previous stop: 14 minutes / 7 mi (11.2 km)
    Directions:

    Follow US 30 west from the overlook approximately 7 miles until you reach the city of Mosier.

    Mosier is the gateway to the Mosier Twin Tunnels and the eastern loop of the Historic Columbia River Highway.

  • Stop 2: Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail

    From previous stop: 2 minutes / 1 mi (1.6 km)
    Directions:

    From Mosier, continue west along US 30 until you reach Rock Creek RD. Bear right across from Mosier School; turn left into Senator Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead, just before end of pavement.
    Suggested time at this stop: 1 hour

    With the construction of Bonneville Dam in 1936, many portions of the original scenic highway became impassable and later, with the construction of I-84, other sections of the orignal highway were bypassed or covered over, and tunnels were filled with rocks or destroyed. Dedicated individuals have worked to have some of these old sections of the highway restored. Too narrow for modern vehicles, they are now open to hikers and bikers as the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

    Your exploration of the trail starts at Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead near Mosier. From here you can hike the old highway to the recently restored Mosier Twin Tunnels. When you've had enough time to look around, just hike back to your car to begin the next leg of your journey.

  • Stop 3: Horsetail Falls

    From previous stop: 1 hour 16 minutes / 38 mi (60.8 km)
    Directions:

    From the the Mark O. Hatfield Trailhead follow Rock Creek Rd. back the way you came to US 30. From there, Follow US 30 to where it merges with I 84. Head west on I 84 for approximately 37 miles until you reach the Ainsworth State Park / Dodson eixt (Exit 35). From here get back on the Historic Columbia River Highway and follow it west until you reach Horsetail Falls.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    Horsetail Falls is located immediately south of the Historic Columbia River Highway and can be viewed without leaving your car. But if you park in the adjacent parking lot, you can enjoy the craftsmanship of the rock walls and paths leading to the falls.

  • Stop 4: Multnomah Falls

    From previous stop: 6 minutes / 3 mi (4.8 km)
    Directions:

    From Horsetail Falls, follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west for approximately 3 miles.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    Multnomah Falls is both the tallest and the most visited of the Byway's waterfalls. This beautiful, two-tiered cascade falls more than 600 feet in the upper falls, and about 50 feet in the lower falls making it the second highest year-round waterfall in the entire United States.

    For a closer view, take the time to hike up to Benson Bridge, built in 1914 by local contractor Robert R. Ringer. Also, don't miss out on Multnomah Falls Lodge built in 1925. Inside the lodge is a gift shop, restaurant and US Forest Service Information Center.

  • Stop 5: Wahkeena Falls

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 0.5 mi (0.8 km)
    Directions:

    From Multnomah Falls, follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west for about half a mile.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    Renamed in 1915 with what is said to be a Yakama Indian word meaning, 'most beautiful,' Wahkeena Falls hosts a trail and a stone bridge that goes across the water near this waterfall. There are also picnic tables and a stone and wood pavilion.

  • Stop 6: Latourell Falls

    From previous stop: 10 minutes / 5 mi (8.0 km)
    Directions:

    From Wahkeena Falls, follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west approximately 5 miles.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    One of several waterfalls along this Byway, these beautiful falls lie hidden in the forest's deep green. Best of all, they are just a short hike from the road.

  • Stop 7: Vista House

    From previous stop: 5 minutes / 3 mi (4.8 km)
    Directions:

    From Latourell Falls, follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west for approximately 3 miles.
    Suggested time at this stop: 15 minutes

    Continuing west along the Historic Columbia River Highway, you will come to Vista House at Crown Point, one of the most photographed sites along the Byway. It is a memorial to Oregon's pioneers, an observatory, and public comfort station.

    Samuel Lancaster, the Highway's chief engineer, believed that this outcropping of land, located atop a 733-foot sheer cliff overlooking the Columbia River, was one of the most spectacular vistas in the world. He knew that it was the ideal site for "an observatory from which the view both up and down the Columbia could be viewed in silent communion with the infinite."

  • End: Portland

    From previous stop: 50 minutes / 25 mi (40.0 km)
    Directions:

    From Vista House, follow the Historic Columbia River Highway west approximately three miles to Corbett. At Corbett, get back on I 84 and follow it the remaining 22 miles to Portland.

    At the end of your journey, Portland awaits you. A popular metropolis and a gorgeous city Portland includes almost 40,000 acres of park space, interspersed throughout stunning buildings. The city is abuzz with 1.7 million inhabitants, museums, gardens, and zoos.

Totals for Day 1

Total Distance Traveled: 93.5 miles / 149.6 km
Total Travel Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Total Stopping Time: 4 hours 15 minutes