McKenzie River Scenic Byway
Eugene, Lane County, Oregon. 34-mile/55-kilometer riverside route; Year-round.
Details
- Where
- Eugene, Lane County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
- When
- Driving time: 1-2 hours.
- Getting there
- Runs east along the McKenzie River from near Eugene; the east end intersects the West Cascades Scenic Byway, which connects with the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway.
- Website
- traveloregon.com
The steely blue McKenzie River sets the course for this 34-mile/55-kilometer riverside route, which links the fruitful Willamette Valley to the fragrant fir forests of the Cascade Mountains.
Notable Events
- 1812Donald Mackenzie's Pacific Fur Company exploring party traveled up the Willamette and named McKenzie's Fork of the Willamette River in his honor. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1824The first map to show Mackenzie's name on the river was made by the Hudson's Bay Company, for whom he then worked; the river did not retain its Native American name on this map. mckenziechamber.com
- 1850sDuring the 1850s, most of the Native people who called the McKenzie home were sent to federal reservations. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1853Benjamin Franklin Owen and seven other immigrants from the Lost Wagon Train of 1853 crossed the Cascades from the east and traveled down the McKenzie River, where they were rescued. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1861James Belknap staked the earliest homestead recorded in the upper McKenzie River valley, just west of the South Fork McKenzie. mckenziechamber.com
- 1862Felix Scott Jr. made the first recorded crossing over McKenzie Pass from west to east, driving work cattle, 900 cattle, and nine freight wagons. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1870sTwo hot-springs resorts operated in the upper McKenzie River area, increasing recognition of the area as a tourist destination. mckenziechamber.com
- 1871A toll road was built over the route and was sold in the late 1890s to Lane County. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1893All lands within the McKenzie River watershed not already claimed by homesteaders became part of the National Forest or Bureau of Land Management. mckenziechamber.com
- 1910The first automobile passed over the McKenzie road; for decades the valley remained a winter dead end until the pass highway section closed seasonally. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1912Thomson's Lodge opened below Martin Rapids in Ben and Kay Dorris State Park, where many famous anglers stayed, including Herbert Hoover as a regular visitor. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1930sThe famed McKenzie drift boat, a dory designed to navigate the river's rocky runs and provide a stable casting platform, originated on this river. traveloregon.com
- 1931Several river guides, including the Thompson family, Prince Helfrich, John and Roy West, and Rube Montgomery, formed the McKenzie River Guides Association. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1938The Goodpasture covered bridge was built across the river at Vida; it is the state's second-longest covered bridge. traveloregon.com
- 1957The McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce formed as a political action group; local businesses and residents joined to fight a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dam that would have formed a lake from Vida to Blue River, and the group succeeded. mckenziechamber.com
- 1960sA new highway section connecting Belknap Springs with the South Santiam Highway opened the valley to east-west traffic year-round. oregonencyclopedia.org
- 1988The McKenzie was added to the federal Wild and Scenic River system as a recreational river under Public Law 100-557, the Omnibus Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, from Clear Creek to Scott Creek. fws.gov
People
- James Belknap, Staked the earliest homestead recorded in the upper McKenzie River valley (1861).
- Benjamin Franklin Owen, Leader of the immigrant party that made the first recorded passage over the Cascades and down the entire McKenzie River (fall of 1853).
- Donald Mackenzie, One of Astor's Pacific Fur Company partners who organized the exploring party up the Willamette that named the river after him (explored in the spring of 1812).
- Felix Scott Jr., Made the first recorded crossing over McKenzie Pass from west to east with livestock and freight wagons (1862).
- John and Roy West, River guides who helped form the McKenzie River Guides Association.
- Prince Helfrich, River guide who helped form the McKenzie River Guides Association.
- Rube Montgomery, River guide who helped form the McKenzie River Guides Association.
- the Thompson family (Carey, Dayton, Milo, and Rube), River guides who helped form the McKenzie River Guides Association.
- Harry Camden Poole, Renowned sculptor who created the bas-relief panels on the Leaburg-Walterville powerhouse, considered among the state's finest examples of art deco architecture.