The View Point Inn was built in 1924 on a bluff outside Corbett and directly above Vista House at Crown Point. The View Point commands a breathtaking view west down the Columbia River. It was once among a cluster of roadhouses that served travelers on the scenic Columbia River Highway.The present owners of the historic View Point Inn, located within the 85-mile-long national scenic area, are Geoff “Buff Daddy” Thompson and partner Angelo Simione. The Columbia River Gorge Commission ruled in November 2005 that the owners of Corbett’s View Point Inn have the right to bring the historic building back to life as a restaurant and five-room inn. Geoff Thompson had been trying off and on since 1998 to reopen the historic inn.
The View Point Inn’s dining room is 60 feet long and 21 feet wide with a massive stone fireplace, and five French doors that frame the vast view of the Columbia River and the western Gorge. The inn was clearly built for commercial use.
The policy change had to be adopted by the federal government, and the six Oregon and Washington counties that govern the scenic area before the View Point was open for business. A legal challenge by the Friends of the Gorge could have caused additional delay. The Multnomah County planners needed to hold public hearings and issue the permit. Until the permit was granted, the Multnomah County officials wanted Thompson to stop taking reservations for the inn. In other words, they wanted him to stop “preparing” to run a business.
In April 2008, the View Point Inn was the magical place where Bella Swan and Edward Cullen declared their unconditional and irrevocable love for one another for the movie “Twilight.”
Instructions for logging waymark: A photograph is required that shows you (or your GPS receiver, if you are waymarking solo) and the View Point Inn.