The Long Way
Lane County and Deschutes County
A view of snowy mountains and a lava field framed through a jagged stone opening.
Plate I. View from Dee Wright Observatory, McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. From oregon.gov
A yellow snow blower vehicle on a snow-covered mountain landscape.
Plate II. Snowblower along McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. From oregon.gov
A person fly fishes in a river surrounded by trees.
Plate III. Fly fishing along McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com
A winding road through a volcanic landscape with snow-capped mountains in the background.
Plate IV. McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com
A split-level view shows a clear blue lake underwater with a submerged tree trunk and a dense forest on the shore above.
Plate V. Clear Lake, McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com

McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway

McKenzie Bridge and Sisters, Lane County and Deschutes County, Oregon. Part of the McKenzie Pass - Santiam Pass National Scenic Byway.

Details

Where
McKenzie Bridge and Sisters, Lane County and Deschutes County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
Season
6/15/26 Update: McKenzie Pass, OR 242, is now open.
Getting there
The McKenzie Highway (OR 242) section of the scenic byway begins at the junction with Oregon 126 near McKenzie Bridge and ends at the junction with U.S. Highway 20 and Oregon 126 at the city of Sisters.
Fees
Parking passes can be purchased from the ranger station for parking and hiking along the byway.
Access
When the highway is open, vehicles over 35 feet long are not allowed. The narrow road has tight curves and many sections with no shoulder.
Phone
541-822-3381
Website
oregon.gov
Managed by
Oregon Department of Transportation.

A portion of the byway travels through the McKenzie River Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest where you'll experience dramatic views of the snowcapped High Cascade Peaks.

Notable Events

  1. 1853The first recorded trip over the Cascades in this region was made by immigrants on horseback from the Elliot and McClure wagon train, known as the Lost Wagon Train, who made their way down the McKenzie River to Springfield. oregonencyclopedia.org
  2. 1859The pass was discovered in 1859 by Andrew Wiley. tripcheck.com
  3. 1862Felix Scott Jr. took some 50 men and 900 cattle over the old Indian trail past Belknap Springs and over the summit to Idaho; his route was known as the Scott Trail. oregonencyclopedia.org
  4. 1865The Santiam Wagon Road served as the primary means of transportation across the central Cascade Mountains for most of the 74 years (1865-1939) it was in use. fs.usda.gov
  5. 1871The McKenzie Salt Springs and Des Chutes Wagon Road Company, established at Eugene, followed the new route and collected tolls at McKenzie Bridge, then Blue River. oregonencyclopedia.org
  6. 1874Reportedly, the first emigrant wagon train crossed on the new toll road in October 1874. oregonencyclopedia.org
  7. 1877Pioneer mail carrier John T. Craig perished at a cabin just west of the summit while carrying mail; Craig Monument marks the spot. oregonencyclopedia.org
  8. 1898The entire route became a county road named the McKenzie and Eastern Oregon Road. oregonencyclopedia.org
  9. 1910The first automobile struggled over the summit in 1910. oregonencyclopedia.org
  10. 1919The section between Blue River in Lane County and Sisters in Deschutes County became a Forest Road in 1919. oregon.gov
  11. 1924The actual highway was constructed in 1924, when automobiles became the main mode of transportation; it has retained its 1920s-style geometry and alignment. bendbulletin.com
  12. 1925The road was relocated and widened in 1920, graded and surfaced between 1920 and 1924, and became an Oregon State Highway in 1925. oregon.gov
  13. 1934The observatory at the summit, named after Forest Service packer Dee Wright, was hand-built from native lava rock by the Civilian Conservation Corps company at Camp Belknap. oregonencyclopedia.org
  14. 1962The McKenzie Pass Highway became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of Oregon 126. oregon.gov
  15. 2009The 34-mile section connecting Sisters to Highway 126 near McKenzie Bridge was nominated by Oregon's State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation. bendbulletin.com

People

  • Dee Wright, Forest Service packer for whom the Dee Wright Observatory at the summit is named.
  • Felix Scott Jr., Drove cattle over the old Indian trail; his route was known as the Scott Trail (1862).
  • John T. Craig, Pioneer mail carrier who perished at a cabin just west of the summit; Craig Monument is named for him (December 1877).
  • Andrew Wiley, Discovered Santiam Pass (1859).

Sources

  1. traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byway
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/recreation/mckenzie-pass-santiam-pass-scenic-byway
  3. oregon.gov/odot/regions/pages/mckenzie-highway.aspx
  4. tripcheck.com/Pages/Scenic-Byways-McKenzie-Pass-Santiam-Pass
  5. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/2148
  6. npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/10001215
  7. fs.usda.gov/r06/willamette/recreation/trails/santiam-wagon-road-trail-oregon-historic-trail
  8. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/mckenzie_pass