Toothrock Trailhead
Posted by: 
howarthe
N 45° 38.063 W 121° 56.892
10T E 581977 N 5053964
This paved path starts at Bonneville Dam and goes four miles up and down hills to the Bridge of the Gods. Most of the path is closed to automobile traffic and follows the Historic Columbia River Highway (established 1916).
Waymark Code: WM8F2G
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 03/23/2010
Views: 6
This is a beautiful paved path. There are a lot of hills, but the views are worth it. It is separate from but parallel to Interstate 84 to Cascade Locks and the Bridge of the Gods. There is a lot of ornate stone work to admire along the way and numerous markers explaining the history of the area.
Suitable for hiking and biking.
Lots of parking available at the trailhead.
"Today the roar of Interstate 84 leaves no doubt about the primary means of transportation through the Columbia River Gorge. But for thousands of years, the Columbia's song was broken only by water lapping against Indian canoes.
"The basalt bluff, called Toothrock, bears witness to transportation history. During the 1840s, Oregon trail emigrants portaged around rapids called "The Cascades" on a trail within view of this rock. The first wagon road on the Oregon side crested the Cascade Range over these basalt shoulders in 1856. Oregon's first locomotive steamed around the landmark during the 1860s to connect steamboats on the river. The Historic Columbia River Highway celebrated the dawn of the automobile age a viaduct carried traffic around the monolith in the early 1900s. Construction of a tunnel through the rock in the 1930s marked the beginning of today's water grade freeway through the Gorge. Finally, the 1960s brought construction of the westbound freeway viaduct around the rock." |
-- from a historical marker at the trailhead.
Trailhead/trail website: [Web Link]
Trail allowances or restrictions:
This trail might be more popular among bikers than hikers but both are welcome.
Trail type: paved
Parking: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
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