Historic Columbia River Highway, OR

This is the first scenic highway in the US to gain the distinction of National Historic Landmark. Just to give you an idea of what this means, less than 3 percent of the sites on the National Register of Historic Places become Landmarks. The construction of this Highway was considered one of the greatest engineering feats of the modern age. Its engineer, Samuel C. Lancaster, "did not [want] to mar what God had put there. " It was designed in 1913 to take advantage of the many waterfalls and other "beauty spots." The Hood River County museum is one of the best places to better understand the history of the byway, leading visitors through the time of the earliest settlers of the area to the present.

While you are relaxing after a day of whitewater rafting at the Dalles, take a break in town and see the town's 19th Century churches and homes. Drive further inland to where Ainsworth State Park lies nestled in the Columbia River Gorge, filled with waterfalls, trails and plenty of areas to set down camping gear to make a day of it. Or visit the windsurfing capital of the world at Hood River, and take in the fantastic views of the Columbia River and Mt. Hood while you're there.

For decades the Historic Columbia River Highway has been a favored stop for travelers of all kinds, with its variety of activities and gorgeous scenery. From cascading waterfalls to deep gorges, this historic highway will be a road you will want to travel again and again.

The Columbia River Highway was built in Oregon along the Columbia River between 1913 and 1922. When the Multnomah County portion was first paved in 1916, it was the first major paved highway in the Pacific Northwest. Once completed, it ran from Astoria to The Dalles, a total of 196 miles. It was one of the routes in the National Auto Trail system and is an All-American Road.

The original highway was promoted by lawyer and entrepreneur Sam Hill and engineer Samuel Lancaster, to be modeled after the great scenic roads of Europe. From the very beginning, the roadway was envisioned not just as means of traveling by the then popular Model T, but designed with an elegance that took full advantage of all the natural beauty along the route.

When the United States highway system was officially established in 1926, the highway became the first and then westernmost segment of what became U.S. Route 30. Since then, modern Interstate 84 has been built parallel to the highway, replacing it as the main travel route and resulting in the loss of some of the original sections of road.

The Columbia River Highway is the nation's oldest scenic highway. In 1984 it was recognized as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2000 it was designated a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service as "an outstanding example of modern highway development".

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