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The Mount Hood Scenic Byway
The Mount Hood Scenic Byway traverses an area to the east of the Portland metropolitan area that includes farmlands, nurseries and historic trails and the scenic and recreational areas around Mount Hood. Parts of the Barlow Road of the Oregon Trail are adjacent to the byway. Most of the byway follows or is adjacent to US26 and state route OR35. In the route description below, links are provided to TravelData21's highway logs to assist in discovering points of interest and to assist with travel planning.
Maps: The Oregon Department of Transportation has maps (in .pdf format) of eastern Multnomah County, western Clackamas County, eastern Clackamas County and Hood River County that will assist with driving directions.
The official byway covers a distance of approximately 110 miles / 177 km which, theoretically, could be driven in about three hours, but there are so many places to stop and savor that it deserves hours, even days, of exploring. The city of Hood River and the Hood River Valley in Hood River County are worth at least a full day. Wilderness areas attract many visitors for extended periods away from increasingly frenetic life styles. There are several places along the way offering good lodging and dining facilities.
The Mount Hood Scenic Byway can also be combined with the Historic Columbia River Highway to form a circular tour of one of Oregon's most scenic and interesting areas.
The Mount Hood Loop of the
Oregon Cascades Birding Trail (map) has
bird-spotting sites along or adjacent to parts of this byway.
The western end of the Mount Hood Scenic Byway begins on the east side
of Troutdale where the Troutdale Bridge crosses the Sandy River and the
Historic Columbia River Highway
begins its route to Multnomah Falls. These starting points can be accessed
from Interstate 84
at Exits 17 and 18.
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The byway begins by running westward through downtown Troutdale along East Historic Columbia River Highway. Troutdale's main street is very attractive and offers a variety of shops and places to eat that appeal to many visitors. The visitors center has an excellent selection of brochures with regional information. |
After crossing
257th Avenue the route takes a left turn on to SW Halsey Street where McMenamin's
Edgefield is located on the former site of the Multnomah County Poor
Farm. Continue westbound to 238th Drive in Wood Village.
From Wood Village the byway turns to the south on 238th Drive, which
leads to 242nd Drive and NE
Hogan Drive to SE Burnside Street.
Turn east on Burnside to merge with
US26 eastbound to Palmquist Road.
Turn left at the traffic light then take the first right onto Orient
Drive. The route distance to this point is 6 miles / 9 km.
An alternate route from Portland is to take Exit 16 from Interstate 84 to Wood Village, then turn east on SW Halsey to Troutdale and the Sandy River Bridge. Return through Troutdale and turn south on 257th Avenue which becomes NE Kane Drive and leads to Orient Drive just before connecting with US26 at Palmquist Road. A second alternate route from Portland is to join the Mount Hood Scenic Byway at US26 and Burnside and combine the Wood Village to Troutdale segment with a tour of the Historic Columbia River Highway. These alternate routes will avoid heavy traffic which is common between Wood Village and US26. There is, however, a good selection of restaurants and shops in the area of Burnside and US26 that may be of interest to some visitors.
The byway continues on Orient Drive heading east towards Mount Hood to pass by nurseries and ranches and along tree-shaded roads.
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The route comes to a fork (1.94 miles / 3.1 km) where it takes the left fork onto Dodge Park Boulevard which it follows to Lusted Road (4.85 miles / 7.8 km). Turn right (southbound) on Lusted Road to Ten Eyck Road (8.73 miles / 14 km) after crossing the Sandy River and passing Dodge Park (pictured to the left). Lusted Road northbound leads to Oxbow Regional Park on the Sandy River. |
Turn left on Ten Eyck Road, part of which follows the Oregon Trail's Barlow Road, to reconnect with US26 on the east side of the town of Sandy. (4.38 miles / 7 km) (Total diversion from US26 is about 19.9 miles / 32 km)
Return to US26 (0.9 mile / 1.4 km) and turn east towards Mount Hood and the Mount Hood National Forest and continue to Government Camp.
There are three wilderness areas - Mark O. Hatfield, Mount Hood and Badger Creek - to the north of US26 that can be accessed from US26 and OR35 (see below). The Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness lies to the south of US26 between Sandy and Mount Hood.
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Make a left turn just before the 53-milepost marker to drive through the village of Government Camp which offers the Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum and recreation areas in addition to lodging and dining services. There is a rest area at the eastern end of the community. |
From the rest area at the east end of Government Camp turn left to continue eastward on US26 to Timberline Road which leads to the historic Timberline Lodge and Ski Area. This diversion entails an 11-mile round-trip journey but is well worth the visit to see this historic building and the views it offers over the Mount Hood National Forest. This road can be difficult to traverse in winter because of its steep incline and heavy snow that is not always apparent from the main highway. Click here to check road conditions (click on the "N" (North) section of the map) and view web cams in the area.
Exit
from US26 to state route OR35
northbound through the Hood
River Valley and the city of Hood River. The eastern end of the Mount
Hood Scenic Byway is at the junction of
OR35 and US30 in Hood River a short distance south of
Exit 64 on Interstate
84. US30 is part of the
Historic Columbia River Highway Historic District.
See also
Mount Hood Scenic Byway for more information and a
map.
Recommended Reading: Roadside History of Oregon and Roadside Geology of Oregon