The Long Way
Hood River, Oregon
An elevated scenic view of a wide river flanked by mountains and forests.
Plate I. Columbia River view, Rowena Crest Trailhead. Photograph by Steven Pavlov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rowena Crest Trailhead

Hood River, Oregon, Oregon. Scenic Viewpoint on Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.

Details

Where
Hood River, Oregon, OR. No street address stated. Directions
Getting there
Take exit 69 off I-84 from Mosier and head east about 7 miles on Highway 30, or take the Rowena exit (#76) and head west on Highway 30 up the famous Rowena Curves.
Access
There are no restrooms at Rowena Crest. Visit Lower Mayer for public facilities. No dogs allowed in the Tom McCall Nature Preserve.
Phone
541-478-3008, 503-695-2261
Managed by
Oregon State Parks.

Rowena Crest is a stunning viewpoint and trailhead along the Historic Columbia River Highway that looks down on Mayer State Park and the Columbia River Gorge. The view includes the iconic Rowena Loops — the horseshoe curves that wind up to the viewpoint, a true engineering marvel.

Notable Events

  1. 1919The firm of A. D. Kern began grading this section by late 1919, taking the highway down from Rowena Point to Rowena Canyon and Rowena Creek. npgallery.nps.gov
  2. 1921A basalt masonry pedestrian alcove with concrete caps just east of and below Rowena Crest Overlook gave drivers a view of the Columbia River and the bottomland near Rowena. npgallery.nps.gov
  3. 1921The Rowena Loops, designed by J. H. Scott of the Oregon State Highway Dept. and built by A. D. Kern of Portland. npgallery.nps.gov
  4. 1922On 27 June 1922 the Columbia River Highway from Portland to The Dalles was officially completed; Simon Benson, rake in hand, helped spread the hot stuff over the roadway near Rowena. npgallery.nps.gov

People

  • John A. Elliott, Engineer who determined the eastern section be built to the western end's gentle turns and grade.
  • Samuel C. Lancaster, Engineer who designed the highway's western end; his design standards inspired the loops.
  • J. H. Scott, Locating engineer and designer of the Rowena Loops, Oregon State Highway Dept.
  • Mark A. Mayer, East Coast industrialist and local orchardist who donated 260 acres to the state for Mayer State Park.
  • Simon Benson, Helped spread the paving over the roadway near Rowena at the highway's completion (27 June 1922).

Sources

  1. stateparks.oregon.gov/index.cfm?do=park.profile&parkId=221
  2. commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Columbia_River_from_Rowena_Crest_Viewpoint_looking_east.jpg
  3. npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/51ba64ac-e576-44cf-b3a4-11ce51588267
  4. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=112250
  5. hmdb.org/m.asp?m=112249
  6. usgs.gov/media/images/flood-basalt-lava-flow-stacked-layers-viewed-eastward-across