Cycling to Vista House: A Columbia Gorge Experience
Oregon: Follow the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail from Cascade Locks to Crown Point with a stop at Multnomah Falls.
This is the first of two posts about cycling in Oregon’s Columbia Gorge.
ALSO: Cycling Hood River: 3 Rides Along the Columbia Gorge
Vista House, one of Oregon’s iconic landmarks, stands atop the Crown Point promontory about 15 miles east of Portland and more than 700 feet above the Columbia River. There’s a circular drive around the limestone building that allows tourists unobstructed views of the breathtaking Columbia Gorge.
The building was constructed more than 100 years ago as a public observatory and a “comfort” stop for motorists driving their Ford Model Ts on the Columbia River Highway, the first paved road in the Pacific Northwest.
Today, I’m following the same road to the Vista House, steadily rolling through a thicket of trees that guard the highway’s bends and switchbacks from this area’s legendary winds. With time and pedal strokes, I eventually curve around a 180-degree bend and see it. One more loop, this time around the structure’s retaining walls, and I’m there.
This is one of my favorite climbs. It’s short (3 miles), easy (Category 3), and infinitely satisfying. It’s also the turnaround point for my 43-mile ride along the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
This highway was the primary route through the Gorge until Interstate 84 was completed in the 1960s. The old highway, which joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, is primarily used by tourists and bike riders.
Cyclists can start in Troutdale and share the two-lane road for more than 20 miles east to the Elowah Falls trailhead. A paved bike-and-hike path takes you on to Cascade Locks. (Hikers may know this riverfront town as the northernmost Oregon stop on the Pacific Crest Trail.)
Troutdale is not on my agenda today. Instead, Cascade Locks, 40 miles east of Portland, is my preferred starting point. I park under the steel-truss Bridge of the Gods and head west toward the Bonneville Dam, Multnomah Falls, and eventually Vista House. I never take this route lightly even though I’ve ridden here several times. The trail twists and turns under and beside the Interstate. It rises and falls through dense brush and trees and past open spaces. There are nearly 2,500 feet to climb, and there are even two unavoidable flights of stairs.
And it’s loud. The roar of Interstate cars and trucks is never far away, and freight trains follow this way as well. It all becomes forgotten as white noise, however, while the mind focuses on the next bend in the trail
Landmarks Along the Way
The Columbia River Highway State Trail is dotted with landmarks and points of reference. Here are some highlights.
Mile 3: Look down to the river and see the Bonneville Dam, which was constructed in 1937. The dam has provided hydroelectric power for the Pacific Northwest for decades. Its existence has also sparked controversy for just as long. Indigenous tribes and environmentalists object to the dam’s negative effect on wild salmon as they attempt to swim upstream.
Mile 7: The route leaves the hike-and-bike trail and continues on the two-lane historic road, old U.S. Highway 30. Traffic is light for a while, but it will pick up when you reach …
Mile 9: Once past Interstate Exit 35 and Ainsworth State Park, prepare to see more motor traffic. There are five notable waterfalls – Horsetail Falls, Multnomah Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Latourell Falls – over the next 15 miles, and they attract hikers, cyclists, and sightseers. Watch out for less-than-attentive drivers.
Mile 13: Multnomah Falls is the marquee attraction. Water from underground springs drops 620 feet in two stages to create one of the tallest falls in the country and the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest. It’s so popular, in fact, there’s a parking lot between the east and westbound lanes of Interstate 84. More than 2 million people watch the water plunge each year.
Slow down as you pass by because foot and vehicle traffic can be heavy. I suggest stopping for a quick look yourself. It’s a short walk with your bike.
Mile 15: The ascent to Vista House slowly, steadily picks up from here. There are almost 7 miles to go, and traffic gradually thins out from here. Enjoy the trees and the relative quiet.
Mile 21.5: You’ve reached the top. I always take a moment to soak in the scenery. The parking lot is exposed with little shelter from the wind, but that’s part of the experience. (I was there once during a non-cycling visit and could barely stand against 70-mph gusts.)
Now, turn around and trace your pedal strokes back to Cascade Locks. Enjoy the downhill. It’s fun, fast, and not too technical.
But before you go, take a long look and think about the Columbia Gorge itself. This massive trench between Washington and Oregon was formed over millions of years. Volcanic eruptions laid down massive lava flows that blanketed this region with basalt rock. Then the fledgling Columbia River began eroding the basalt to cut a path toward the Pacific Ocean.
Finally, a series of tsunami-like Ice Age floods – the “Missoula Floods” – sent torrents of ice, water, and gravel along the river from what we now call Idaho. These actions carved the Gorge walls and created much of what we see today.
I sometimes imagine how Indigenous people considered this land sacred, and what American explorers Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery thought the first time they paddled canoes down this river in October 1805.
This is my rediscovery each time I ride here.
Dan Shryock is a travel writer and career journalist who focuses on cycle tourism. Based in Oregon, his work has appeared in magazines and websites in California and the Pacific Northwest. His book, “Cycling Across Oregon: Stories, Surprises & Revelations Along the State’s Scenic Bikeways” is available on Amazon.
Great read, please read my latest post on bike lane politics:
https://substack.com/@nogoplus/note/p-175461506?r=6cyw21