Hood River to The Dalles

The Columbia River Highway (CRH) between Hood River and Mosier is 6.5 miles in length and is one of most beautiful sections of the highway from both a scenic and engineering standpoint. This section of the highway opened in May of 1920 and cost approximately $50,000 a mile which in today's dollars is $774,834.40 per mile. Before this section was completed the old road over Mosier hill was treacherous and steep. After a good rain cars would have to be towed from the summit down the hill on the eastern side. Many who could afford it shipped their cars from Portland on a steamer to The Dalles.

The City of Hood River

The City of Hood River is located on the Columbia River Highway 61.9 miles east of Portland and 24 miles west of The Dalles and is the seat of the Hood River County. It is also one end of the Mountain Loop Highway which takes tourists around Mt. Hood and was completed in 1922. Hood River is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. The 2020 census lists the city population at 8,313. It is the only city in Oregon where public consumption of alcohol on sidewalks or in parks is totally unrestricted. Hood River is at the confluence of the Hood River and the Columbia River in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The city is about 30 miles north of Mount Hood, the tallest peak in the state. It is across the Columbia River from White Salmon, WA. South of the city is the Hood River Valley, known for its production of apples, pears, and cherries.

The Dalles to the Deschutes River

The Columbia River Highway (CRH) between The Dalles and the Deschutes river is now mostly underwater or under the freeway. About 6 miles of this section of the highway utilized the old portage railway which took people and cargo around Celilo Falls. Also a section of about 2 miles, the highway used the old O. W. R. & N. grade. The Dalles dam which was constructed in 1952 and completed in 1957 raised the level of the river which now covers the old highway between the dam and Brown's island. The dam has also covered the old steamboat canal and locks at Celilo as well as the Celilo falls which had been a popular fishing ground for the Indians for thousands of years. From Brown's island to the Deschutes river the old highway is mostly under the freeway.

The Deschutes River

The Deschutes river is located in central Oregon and runs mainly north for approximately 250 miles and empties into the Columbia river about 14 miles east of The Dalles. The river begins its journey to the Columbia at Little Lava lake which is 30 miles southwest of Bend, OR and it runs in a southerly direction to Crane Prairie reservoir and then into Wickup reservoir before it begins to flow in a northerly direction through the center of the state. The river drains a 300 mile section of the eastern slope of the rugged Cascade range.