ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Historic Columbia River Highway

The hairpin curves of the Rowena Loops
The hairpin curves of the Rowena LoopsPhoto: Dennis Adams / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

Historic Columbia River Highway is an All-American Road in Oregon. Within Oregon it covers roughly 40 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Historic Columbia River Highway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

Completed in 1916, the Historic Columbia River Highway was the first planned scenic highway in the United States, engineered to showcase the Columbia River Gorge while treading lightly on it. It passes the art-deco Vista House at Crown Point and a remarkable concentration of waterfalls, including 620-foot Multnomah Falls, Oregon's most visited natural attraction. The road is a National Historic Landmark, with several segments now restored for walking and cycling.

Designated for its scenic and historic qualities

Plan a drive on Historic Columbia River Highway → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Historic Columbia River Highway

  1. Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint

    The classic first look up the Columbia River Gorge, with Crown Point and Vista House framed against the cliffs.

  2. Vista House

    A 1918 stone observatory and rest stop atop Crown Point, about 700 feet above the river, with exhibits on the highway's construction.

  3. Bridal Veil Falls

    A two-tiered waterfall at the bottom of a short, steep trail, with a separate path along the cliff top to gorge views.

  4. Multnomah Falls

    Oregon's tallest waterfall, a 620-foot, two-tier drop spanned by the 1914 Benson Bridge. Summer visits may need a timed-use permit.

  5. Bonneville Lock and Dam

    The first federal dam on the Columbia, with fish ladder viewing windows where salmon pass in season and a hatchery known for its giant sturgeon.

  6. Rowena Crest

    Where the highway loops down from a dry plateau in tight curves. In spring the Tom McCall Preserve's wildflowers blanket the crest.

  7. Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

    The official interpretive center for the gorge, near The Dalles, on its geology, Native peoples, and the Lewis and Clark journey.

Where to Stay along Historic Columbia River Highway

2 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Historic Columbia River Highway.

CASCADE LOCKS, OREagle Creek Overlook Grp SiteCheck availability →Hood River, OREGONEagle Creek CampgroundCheck availability →Hotels & motelsNear Corbett, ORSearch stays →

Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

Photos of Historic Columbia River Highway

An arched concrete bridge on the old highway
An arched concrete bridge on the old highwayPhoto: Dennis Adams / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The Columbia River Gorge from the Portland Women's Forum viewpoint
The Columbia River Gorge from the Portland Women's Forum viewpointPhoto: Dennis Adams of FHWA / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The highway hugging a basalt cliff
The highway hugging a basalt cliffPhoto: Dennis Adams / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The Columbia River from a high overlook
The Columbia River from a high overlookPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain
A restored rock-cut section of the old highway
A restored rock-cut section of the old highwayPhoto: America's Byways (FHWA) / Public domain

What is an All-American Road?

All-American Roads are the top tier of America's National Scenic Byways. To earn the title a road has to be a destination in its own right — offering features so exceptional, across several intrinsic qualities (scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational), that they can't be found anywhere else.

← All scenic roads in Oregon