West Cascades Scenic Byway
West Cascades Scenic Byway is a National Scenic Byway in Oregon. Within Oregon it covers roughly 190 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along West Cascades Scenic Byway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Oregon's West Cascades Scenic Byway runs 220 miles from Estacada to Oakridge, tracing the Cascade Range's western slope on a chain of five highways and forest roads. Estacada, southeast of Portland, is a logging town on the Clackamas River founded in 1905 that grew up around an early 1900s hydroelectric dam and a new railroad line that brought both timber operations and early tourism to the surrounding wilderness. Part of the route parallels the historic Santiam Wagon Road, which once carried Willamette Valley settlers east to Central Oregon rangeland and on to the gold mines of Eastern Oregon and Idaho. Following Oregon 224, Oregon 22, US 20, Oregon 126, and Forest Road 19 to Oakridge southeast of Eugene, the drive follows the Clackamas and Santiam Rivers as they tumble out of the mountains, framed by old-growth fir forest and views of jagged volcanic peaks. A designated National Scenic Byway, it's one of the longest scenic drives in Oregon, offering a slower, forested alternative to the interstate corridor on the valley floor below.
- Cascade Range
- Estacada
- 220 miles
- Santiam Wagon Road
- Clackamas River
- Oakridge
- National Scenic Byway
Designated for its scenic qualities
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Places to stop along West Cascades Scenic Byway
Clackamas River
A jade-green Wild and Scenic River in a deep canyon south of Estacada, popular for rafting, fishing, and riverside campgrounds.
Riverside National Recreation Trail
An easy, nearly level trail along the Clackamas under big hemlocks and firs, linking two campgrounds.
Marion Forks Hatchery
A small hatchery raising chinook salmon and trout beside the highway, with ponds open to visitors.
Belknap Hot Springs
A mineral-springs resort on the McKenzie River that has been soaking travelers for well over a century, with gardens open to day visitors.
Belknap Covered Bridge
A white 1966 covered bridge over the McKenzie at Rainbow, the latest of several bridges on the site since 1890.
Office Covered Bridge
Oregon's longest covered bridge at 180 feet, a barn-red span in Westfir built to carry log trucks to the old mill.
Where to Stay along West Cascades Scenic Byway
62 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of West Cascades Scenic Byway.
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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.