Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
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Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
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 Twin tunnels at Mosier |
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| location | Oregon (USA) |
| surface | 105 ha |
| Geographical location | 45 ° 41 ′ N , 121 ° 25 ′ W |
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| administration | Oregon Parks and Recreation Dept. |
The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is a state park in the US state of Oregon . It contains several sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway , which runs on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge . The disconnected sections of the Highway State Trail are closed to motorized traffic and are only open to pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorized road users. Car traffic runs on the modern Interstate 84 . Currently, the 105 hectare State Trail covers 16 km of the former highway.
investment
One section forms the 8 km long Twin Tunnels segment between Hood River and Mosier , which runs through two different climate zones. It is accessible from both sides with parking facilities and information boards, at the western end there is a visitor center. There is a fee for use. The eastern section at Mosier leads through semi-arid area with Ponderosa pines until the highway leads into the tunnels. On the other side of the tunnel, the highway leads through a fir forest. Several vantage points offer a panorama of the Columbia River Gorge.
The other 8 km accessible paved section runs parallel to Interstate 84 between Cascade Locks and Bonneville Dam . This section leads through a completely different environment, as it receives twice as much rainfall as the Twin Tunnels area. Ferns, moss-covered rocks and numerous wildflowers flank the nearly 4 km stretch between Cascade Locks and Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery. The trail then leads one mile to the western Tooth Rock Trailhead and offers views of the Bonneville Dam. The path then continues to the Moffet Creek Bridge.
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history
The routes of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail were sections of the Historic Columbia River Highway, built from 1913 to 1922. By expanding a faster connection until 1960, the sections were closed and abandoned. In 1987 it was decided to restore the old highway. The twin tunnels near Mosier, which were closed due to falling rocks, have been cleared. During the work some surprises were discovered, such as graffiti from 1921, which was created when some motorists were snowed in by snowdrifts for several days.
literature
- Jan Bannan: Oregon State Parks: A complete Recreation Guide . 2nd Edition. Mountaineer Books, 2002, ISBN 978-0-89886-794-7
Web links
- Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. Oregon State Parks