Historic Columbia River Highway, Oregon

About this drive

The Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon was the first scenic highway in the United States, completed in 1922 after engineer Samuel Lancaster studied the mountain roads of Europe and applied their principles to the Columbia River Gorge. The road was designed to follow the gorge's contours rather than cut through them, and it remains a masterpiece of early highway engineering — arched stone bridges, tunnels through basalt headlands, and pullouts designed to frame the views deliberately. The road passes more waterfalls per mile than almost any other highway in the country. Multnomah Falls, at 620 feet, is the largest and most visited — a popular stop year-round with a historic lodge at its base and a footbridge crossing mid-falls — but the route also passes Crown Point Vista House, Latourell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and a half-dozen smaller cascades. The Crown Point promontory gives the most dramatic elevated view of the gorge. Much of the original highway was buried under I-84 in the 1950s, but the western portion from Portland to Dodson remains intact as a dedicated historic byway. Spring — when the waterfalls are at full flow from snowmelt — is the best time to visit. The gorge is prone to ice in winter and roads can close without warning.

Stops along the way

• 📸 Multnomah Falls · Scenic Viewpoint

  The tallest waterfall in Oregon, with a historic stone bridge crossing partway up the falls.

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