Two-mile portion of Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail opens to public

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is an additional step closer to fully connecting Troutdale to The Dalles.

The original highway state trail, commonly referred to as “King of The Roads,” was built between 1913 and 1922. But by the 1960s, some portions of it had been damaged to make room for Interstate 84.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has worked alongside the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, State Historic Preservation Office and Travel Oregon to reconstruct the trail since 1986.

This year, crews finished building a two-mile segment of the trail that will link Viento State Park to Mitchell Point. Another 0.7 miles will be constructed between 2026 and 2027.

After that, just 1.6 more miles will need to be constructed for the state trail to be fully complete. That portion would connect Mitchell Point to Hood River, but officials say $45 million to $49 million are still needed for construction costs.

“When completed, this route will be a world-class destination, drawing visitors and cyclists from around the globe who can experience the spectacular Columbia River Gorge the way it was meant to be seen — from beautiful vistas, next to cascading waterfalls and inside basalt tunnels — all while visiting welcoming towns along the way,” ODOT said.

Project partners celebrated the trail’s latest progress with a ribbon-cutting on Saturday morning. The event also featured an open house at the Viento State Park Building, treats from Hood River restaurant Empanadas Maria Elba and a self-guided tour along the trail.