The Long Way
Hood River County
People enjoy sledding on a snowy slope surrounded by trees.
Plate I. Sledding area, Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov
A person kayaking on a lake with a snow-covered mountain and forest in the background.
Plate II. Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. From traveloregon.com
A snow-capped mountain rises above a forest and a winding highway with cars.
Plate III. Mt. Hood view, Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. Photograph, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A scenic view of a snow-capped mountain reflecting in a lake with people canoeing.
Plate IV. Mt. Hood, Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. From nsbfoundation.com
A paved road winds through a landscape of mountains, green vegetation, and burned trees under a clear blue sky.
Plate V. Winding road along Mt. Hood Scenic Byway. From fs.usda.gov

Mt. Hood Scenic Byway

Hood River, Hood River County, Oregon. Scenic Byway; Year-round.

Details

Map. Hood River, Hood River County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
Hood River, Hood River County, OR. No street address stated. Directions
When
Driving time: 3-4 hours.
Getting there
From Hood River, the byway leads south on OR-35 through the Hood River Valley along part of the Hood River County Fruit Loop.
Access
Check TripCheck for closures, delays, or tire traction requirements; Multnomah Falls restrooms closed for renovation through November.
Phone
1-800-547-7842
Website
fs.usda.gov
Managed by
U.S. Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Established
2005.

The glacier-caked summit of Oregon's highest peak creates a dramatic centerpiece for this 100-mile/161-kilometer route that skirts the mountain through fruit valleys and thick fir forest.

Notable Events

  1. 1845Barlow's and Palmer's expanded wagon parties blazed a trail over what is now Barlow Pass, stashed their wagons and supplies at a place they named Fort Deposit, and reached Oregon City late in the year. oregonencyclopedia.org
  2. 1848Barlow's two-year concession on the toll road ended in 1848, and Barlow and Foster dissolved their partnership, having grown weary of the largely unprofitable venture. oregonencyclopedia.org
  3. 1919After the road passed in 1914 to attorney and State Senator George W. Joseph through the disputed will of Portland businessman E. Henry Wemme, Joseph and his wife bequeathed the road to the State of Oregon in 1919. oregonencyclopedia.org
  4. 1978The Oregon Trail, including the Barlow Road, was awarded National Historic Trail status. oregonencyclopedia.org
  5. 1992Protection of the road expanded when the Barlow Road was granted Historic District status and placed on the National Register of Historic Places. oregonencyclopedia.org
  6. 2005The Mt. Hood Scenic Byway was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2005. nsbfoundation.com

People

  • Joel Palmer, Indiana emigrant leader whose twenty-three wagons joined Barlow's party in blazing the route around Mount Hood.
  • Philip Foster, businessman and partner who financed the toll road with $4,000 and owned the farmstead near Eagle Creek where the road party descended.
  • Sam Barlow, settler and wagon-train leader who blazed the route around Mount Hood and built the Barlow Road toll road (arrived The Dalles in 1845).

Sources

  1. traveloregon.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/scenic-drives/mt-hood-scenic-byway
  2. fs.usda.gov/r06/columbiarivergorge/recreation/mt-hood-scenic-byway
  3. fs.usda.gov/r06/mthood/conditions
  4. recreation.gov/gateways/13768
  5. nsbfoundation.com/nb/mt-hood-scenic-byway
  6. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/61400/map
  7. oregon.gov/odot/Programs/TDD%20Documents/Oregon-Scenic-Byway-Proponents-List.pdf
  8. nps.gov/places/barlow-pass.htm
  9. fhwaapps.fhwa.dot.gov/bywaysp/byway/61400
  10. oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/barlow_road
  11. nps.gov/articles/000/the-barlow-road.htm