Historic Columbia River Highway Trail opens two miles near Viento Today, Sept. 9
Come on! Cut that ribbon! Ready to ride!
By Tom Peterson
Here’s your ticket to ride - two new miles of Historic Columbia River Highway Trail leading east from Viento State Park.
Viento State Park, Sept. 9, 2023 - Some 75 people gathered today at Viento State Park seven miles west of Hood River on the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail to celebrate the opening of an additional 2 miles in a push to link the trail to Hood River.
The trail, which follows Sam Hill’s original vision of the scenic highway built more than 100 years ago, was crowded with bikers and hikers after dignitaries cut the ribbon around 10:45 a.m.
“It's amazing,” said Denise Melton, 60 of North Bonneville after hiking the trail with Kimberly Lawrence, 34, of Carson. “I walk this trail all the time with my family. We have three generations walking this trail.”
Denise Melton and Kimberly Lawrence were some of the first to get down the new section of trail.
Hal and Jarret Byrd of Vancouver, Wash. were equally smitten with the new section after riding it on their bikes.
“When we saw this event we had to come and ride it,” Hal said, noting she has a youtube channel called Living in the Pacific Northwest with Hal Byrd.
Jarret and Hal Byrd
“I did not know it was possible to get this far on the trail from Portland,” added Jarret.
It is just the latest completion in a years-long project to create the trail that gives hikers, bikers and rollers a safe passage away from I-84 traffic through the Gorge Scenic Area.
Oregon State Park’s Valley Regional Director Guy Rodrigue called the project to link Troutdale to Hood River “Truly Remarkable” and meeting the definition of a”Legacy Project” which was inline with Sam Hill and Engineer Samuel Lancaster original vision for the Highway, where the road was constructed to take in the beauty of the Gorge in order to elevate people to a higher level.
Guy Rodrigue also had to take a final inspection.
“It shapes who we are,” Rodrigue told the crowd.
Hood River City Councilor Gladys Rivera noted the huge opportunity for Hood River as the final 2 miles of the trail through Mitchell Point is completed in years to come.
She said it provided a “welcoming and safe” trail “to people of all backgrounds” and would help the local economies through tourism.
“Two more miles,” she said emphatically, cheering the crowd in the push to complete the project.
Megan Ramey of Hood River said generations of children would benefit from the “World Class Trail” with easy and safe access, noting she already has kids who point to the section near Cascade Locks and tell their parents “I’ve ridden that trail.”
And it is just plain fun on a gorgeous September day. You can’t take a bad picture.
Click to enlarge - Yellow portions shows the final piece of the trail to be finished by 2026. Once complete, recreationalists will have a trail linked from Troutdale to The Dalles.
Just what Oregon State Parks intended - adults and children alike making new memories on an historic trail that will serve locals as well as people all over the world for decades to come.
The Columbia River Highway is a true classic - timeless because of the time and care that was taken to turn a road into a poem of epic beauty.
Viento State Park also recently created a hiker-biker camp, complete with shelters to keep off the morning dew or torrential rain.
Those hiker bikers also get a brand new bathroom at Viento, complete with showers.
And that is the end of the trail for now. CCCNews will keep you up to date as final completion comes into focus. Meanwhile - stay on the right side of the sign!
