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Mission40

Rowena Crest and the Rowena Loops

Drive the twisty Rowena Loops up to Rowena Crest. Hike out for the Gorge view.

Take the old Columbia River Highway from Mosier up the twisty Rowena Loops to Rowena Crest, and photograph the looping road from the viewpoint. Then hike up Tom McCall Point. On the way, each try to be first to spot both Mount Hood and Mount Adams, and get a photo at the top with the whole Gorge behind you. There's no shade, so bring water.

  • Date or adventure
  • Half day
  • Moderate
  • Free
  • Outdoors
  • Spring, summer, and fall
  • Daytime

Good with just you, friends, and family

Check before you go: weather and trail conditions, and whether it's open this season

Poison oak and ticks are common on the trail. Wear long pants. No dogs on the preserve.

Rowena Crest Viewpoint and Trailhead, Historic Columbia River Highway, between Mosier and The Dalles6500 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Mosier, OR 97040
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Checked November 2026

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About this place

The Historic Columbia River Highway, built from 1913 to 1922, is called the first planned scenic highway in the country. Engineer Samuel Lancaster laid it out, inspired by the mountain roads of Switzerland, and the Rowena Loops are its famous curves near the east end. It's now a National Historic Landmark.

The trail up Tom McCall Point is about 3 miles round trip with roughly 1,000 feet of climbing, through a Nature Conservancy preserve known for spring balsamroot and lupine. Dogs aren't allowed, poison oak and ticks are common, and the upper trail closes each winter and early spring to protect the plants, so check before you go.

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