America's First Scenic Highway and Its Hundred Waterfalls

The Historic Columbia River Highway was America's first planned scenic road, engineered by Samuel Lancaster between 1913 and 1922 through the Columbia River Gorge, a mile-wide canyon carved by the Columbia River through the Cascade Range along the Oregon-Washington border. Lancaster designed the road as a work of art: stone guardrails, arched bridges, and graceful curves that revealed each waterfall, cliff, and river vista as a deliberate composition. The western section, the famous Waterfall Corridor, remains the crown jewel: 25 drivable miles from Troutdale to Ainsworth State Park, passing Crown Point (where Vista House perches 733 feet above the river), then descending through dense forest past more than a dozen major waterfalls, including Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest at 620 feet. The gorge itself was shaped by the Missoula Floods at the end of the last ice age, when a glacial lake the size of Lake Ontario burst its ice dam repeatedly, sending walls of water 1,000 feet deep racing through this canyon at 65 miles per hour. The flood evidence is everywhere: basalt cliffs stripped bare, gravel terraces 500 feet above the present river, and erratic boulders carried hundreds of miles from Montana. East of the Waterfall Corridor, I-84 connects to Hood River (the windsurfing capital of the world) and The Dalles, where the landscape shifts dramatically from lush rainforest to golden grassland in one of the most visible rain shadow transitions on the continent. In 1986, the entire 292,500-acre gorge was designated a National Scenic Area.

Key Stops

Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point) The drive's iconic opening shot: a panoramic view of Crown Point with Vista House perched on its cliff, the Columbia River stretching east through the gorge, and the Cascade peaks rising beyond. Free, open dawn to dusk. Small parking area that fills on weekends but is generally less crowded than stops farther east.

Vista House at Crown Point An octagonal stone observatory built in 1917 atop a 733-foot promontory, designed by Edgar Lazarus as both a comfort station for travelers and a monument to Oregon's pioneers. The marble interior houses interpretive displays about the highway's construction. The exterior walkway offers 360-degree views up and down the gorge. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free admission (donations welcomed). Open daily approximately 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from mid-March through October; closed or reduced hours in winter.

Latourell Falls One of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in the gorge at 249 feet, plunging past a distinctive basalt column overhang streaked with yellow-green lichen. The lower viewpoint is a 0.2-mile walk from the parking area. A 2.4-mile loop trail climbs to the upper falls. Free, no permit required.

Bridal Veil Falls A two-tiered 120-foot cascade reached by a 0.5-mile round-trip trail through forest. A separate short overlook trail at the parking area offers Columbia River views. Free, no permit required.

Wahkeena Falls A 242-foot cascading, multi-tiered waterfall with a trail that connects to Multnomah Falls via a 5-mile loop, one of the finest moderate hikes in the gorge, passing Fairy Falls and several smaller cascades along the way.

Multnomah Falls Oregon's tallest waterfall and the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, with over 2 million visitors annually. The falls drop 620 feet in two tiers, bridged by the iconic Benson Bridge (built 1914), which provides the classic viewpoint between the upper and lower cascades. Multnomah Falls Lodge (1925, National Historic Landmark) houses a restaurant, gift shop, and information center at the base. A steep 1.2-mile trail climbs to the top of the falls. A timed-entry permit system (approximately $2 per vehicle through Recreation.gov) is required during peak season (generally late May through early September) for vehicles accessing the falls from I-84 Exit 31. Permits are released two weeks in advance and in a smaller morning-of allocation. No permit is needed if you arrive via the Columbia Gorge Express shuttle, or walk or cycle in from the Historic Highway.

Oneonta Gorge A narrow slot canyon where mossy basalt walls rise hundreds of feet above Oneonta Creek, creating a cool, moist microclimate that supports ferns, mosses, and lichens unique to this spot. The classic creek walk to Lower Oneonta Falls has been closed since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire due to unstable log jams and rockfall. Check current access status with Oregon State Parks before visiting. The Oneonta Trail above the gorge, leading to Triple Falls, has been partially restored.

Horsetail Falls A 176-foot waterfall visible directly from the highway. A short 0.3-mile trail climbs to Ponytail Falls (Upper Horsetail Falls), where you walk behind the cascade through a mossy rock alcove: one of the gorge's most memorable experiences. This trail has reopened after post-fire restoration.

Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery The first federal dam on the Columbia River, completed in 1938. The visitor center offers free tours, fish ladder viewing windows (watch salmon and steelhead migrate, best in spring and September), and exhibits on the dam's history and hydroelectric generation. At the adjacent Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Herman the Sturgeon, a white sturgeon over 10 feet long and estimated at 60-plus years old, holds court in a viewing pond. Outdoor trout ponds, interpretive displays, and fish food for sale. Both facilities are free. Typically open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; hours vary seasonally.

Eagle Creek Trail The gorge's premier hiking trail, devastated by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire (started by a teenager setting off illegal fireworks, burning nearly 49,000 acres over three months). The trail has reopened in phases: Punchbowl Falls at 2 miles is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Oregon, and Tunnel Falls at 6 miles passes behind the cascade through a tunnel blasted into the rock. Hazard trees remain a risk in the burn area, particularly in wind. Check current conditions with the USFS before hiking.

Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods A small town at the site of historic river navigation locks (now submerged by Bonneville Dam's pool). The Bridge of the Gods, a steel truss span crossing the Columbia to Washington, is the point where Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers cross from Oregon into Washington, made famous in Cheryl Strayed's memoir Wild. Toll approximately $2 for cars. Sternwheeler cruises depart from Cascade Locks Marine Park. Thunder Island Brewing offers a good stop for local craft beer.

Hood River The windsurfing and kiteboarding capital of the world, where the gorge's powerful thermal winds funnel through the canyon at 25-plus mph on summer afternoons. The town has a thriving craft brewery scene: Full Sail Brewing (rooftop deck with river views, established 1987), pFriem Family Brewers, and Double Mountain Brewery are standouts. The Hood River Valley Fruit Loop is a scenic driving route through orchards, farms, and wineries south of town, with views of Mount Hood (peak blossom season mid-April). The Mt. Hood Railroad offers heritage excursion trains through the valley.

Twin Tunnels (Hiking/Biking) Between Hood River and Mosier, a restored 4.5-mile segment of the original highway serves as the Mark O. Hatfield State Trail, passing through two tunnels carved through basalt cliffs in the 1920s, sealed for decades, and reopened in 2000. Paved and relatively flat, it is one of the best short bike rides in Oregon, with stunning eastern gorge views. Access from I-84 Exit 64 (Hood River) or Exit 69 (Mosier).

Rowena Crest and Tom McCall Point East of Mosier, a drivable section of the original highway climbs through dramatic hairpin curves (the Rowena Loops) to Rowena Crest, where the landscape shifts abruptly from forest to open grassland. The Tom McCall Nature Preserve protects wildflower meadows (peak bloom April through May) with views across the gorge. This is one of the most visible rain shadow transitions on the continent.

The Dalles The drive's eastern terminus, named by French explorers who thought the basaltic rock resembled flagstones (les dalles). Lewis and Clark found it to be a center of Native American trade in 1805, and The Dalles became a gateway for Oregon Trail pioneers. The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum is the gorge's official interpretive center, with exhibits on geology, the Missoula Floods, 10,000 years of Native American habitation, and the story of Celilo Falls, once one of the most important fishing and trading sites in North America before it was submerged by The Dalles Dam in 1957. Approximately $12 per adult.

Driving Tips

• The western Waterfall Corridor (Troutdale to Ainsworth State Park, 25 miles) is the must-drive section. East of Ainsworth, the original highway is either I-84 or hiking/biking trail until Mosier, where another drivable section resumes to The Dalles.
• Secure a timed-entry permit through Recreation.gov well in advance if driving to Multnomah Falls from I-84 during peak season (late May through early September). Alternatively, take the Columbia Gorge Express shuttle from Portland's Gateway Transit Center (approximately $5 round trip, no permit required).
• The Historic Highway is a narrow, winding two-lane road with tight curves and limited sightlines. Large RVs and commercial trucks are prohibited on the western section. Drive slowly.
• Visit the waterfall corridor on weekday mornings or in shoulder season (April to May, October). Weekend parking fills by 9 to 10 a.m. in summer.
• The gorge acts as a natural wind tunnel. Summer afternoons bring sustained winds of 25 to 35 mph, especially around Hood River. High-profile vehicles and motorcycles should use caution. Winter wind events can produce gusts exceeding 60 mph.
• Check trail conditions before hiking in areas affected by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Fire-weakened hazard trees remain a risk, particularly in wind.
• The climate shifts dramatically from wet to dry as you drive east. The western gorge receives heavy rain October through May; Hood River and The Dalles are noticeably sunnier and drier.
• Fuel up in Troutdale before entering the highway. The next reliable fuel stops are Cascade Locks and Hood River.
• Cell coverage is spotty in parts of the gorge. Download offline maps before the drive.
• For more information visit: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (USFS)