A six-mile section of the Historic Columbia River Highway from Larch Mountain Road to Bridal Veil re-opened Wednesday morning 11 weeks after it was closed by the Eagle Creek Fire.
Vista House at Crown Point, one of the most popular attractions the Gorge, is also scheduled to re-open Wednesday.
The road has been closed since Sept. 4, two days after the start of the Eagle Creek Fire. While the eminent hazard trees and rock fall dangers have been mitigated, travelers need to remember that the Gorge is chronically prone to slides and should continue to use caution and respect all closure points and private property boundaries.
The opening of the roadway from Larch Mountain Road to Bridal Veil now provides access to local businesses and the post office, but restrictions remain on recreation. Here is a look at what’s open and what’s closed in the newly-opened area.
No stopping or parking is allowed on the shoulders.
- Vista House is expected to be open Wednesday. Normal operating hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
- Guy Talbot State Park is open. A short trail leads from the parking area to Latourell Falls.
- Bridal Veil State Park and trail is also open. Hikers should expect winter conditions at both locations.
- Angel’s Rest parking lot and trail are closed.
- Shepperd’s Dell Falls trail is closed.
- The Multnomah Falls Lodge is not located in this section of opened roadway and remains closed to all visitors for safety reasons at this time.
Crews installed no parking signs in places along the highway and put up barricades to keep travelers from using recreation areas that remain closed.
The Historic Columbia River Highway remains closed between just east of Bridal Veil and Ainsworth with no timeline set for re-opening.
The Multnomah Falls Lodge and the Multnomah Falls parking area on I-84 may re-open by the end of the year. A separate announcement will be made when an opening date for the Lodge is set.
Areas along the route are evaluated for hazards on a case-by-case basis. Visitors are reminded to respect private property rights and closures and be aware of the hazards that exist as winter sets in. Fire impacts have heightened these risks.
At Bridal Veil, eastbound travelers on the Historic Columbia River Highway can turn west onto Interstate 84 or turn around and go west back up the Historic Highway. As a reminder, there is no I-84 eastbound access from the Bridal Veil interchange.
Crews from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Oregon Department of Transportation have all been working in recent weeks to remove immediate roadway hazards from this newly-opened section of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Source: ODOT