McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway
McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Oregon. Within Oregon it covers roughly 85 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
This loop crosses the Cascade crest on two passes near Sisters, Oregon. The McKenzie Pass road (SR-242) climbs through a vast, jagged lava flow to the Dee Wright Observatory, a shelter built entirely of lava rock with windows framing the surrounding volcanoes. The Three Sisters and Mount Washington stand close at hand; the narrow McKenzie Pass road is closed by snow much of the year.
- Dee Wright Observatory
- McKenzie Pass lava fields
- Three Sisters
- Cascade volcanoes
- SR-242 / US-20
Plan a drive on McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway →
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.