Come celebrate the opening of two additional miles of the HCRH State Trail!
 New segment of the Historic Highway State Trail from Viento State Park looking east toward Mitchell Point.
We are excited to announce the opening of two more miles of the Historic Highway State Trail from Viento State Park east in September. ODOT, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and project partners are hosting a ribbon cutting with kids activities for everyone to celebrate.
Date: Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.
Time: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Viento State Park South Campground, Hood River County.
The event will feature keynote speakers, food by Empanadas Maria Elba, information booths, a campground open house, and a kid’s bike information and activity station.
Opening remarks will begin shortly after 10 a.m. and will be followed by the ribbon cutting. After the ribbon cutting, you will be able to use the two additional miles of trail while kids can enjoy a scavenger hunt until 1 p.m. when the event closes. The trail will remain open for everyone to continue using after the event ends.
Transportation to the event
Due to the limited amount of event parking at Viento State Park, please arrive car-free if possible.
By transit
Columbia Area Transit (CAT) will provide drop off and pick up service at Viento State Park in the morning and afternoon on the day of the event. To reach the event, hop on the CAT in Portland, Cascade Locks, Hood River, or any other stop they serve.
To arrive in time for the ribbon cutting at 10 a.m., take the 8:10 a.m. bus from Cascade Locks or the 8:30 a.m. bus from Hood River. The last pickup at Viento State Park will be 5:40 p.m. for westbound service and 7:30 p.m. for eastbound service.
By bike
A ride hosted by Portland Bicycle Club will depart from the Wyeth Trailhead at 9:30 a.m. The group will bike approximately 6 miles east on the Historic Highway State Trail from Wyeth to the ceremony at Viento State Park.
To reach the Wyeth Trailhead by car, take Interstate 84 Exit 51 to the Wyeth Trailhead parking lot located south of I-84 where the group will meet to start the trip. Please arrive 15 minutes early to ride with the group.
To aid your ride, there will be an assortment of electric-powered bikes from Gorge businesses available for rent. Reservations must be made in advance.
By personal vehicle
Limited event parking is available at the Viento State Park day-use lot on the north side of I-84. From I-84, take Exit 56 to Viento State Park where signs will direct visitors to the parking area. Once parking is full onsite, the next closest location is approximately 6 miles west on I-84 to Wyeth Trailhead at Exit 51 where additional parking may be available to access the event via bicycle or transit.
Background
An additional two-mile section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail has been constructed that connects Viento State Park east toward Mitchell Point. The project includes upgrades to the South Viento State Park Campground, which is now home to a new hiker/biker campground with an ADA-accessible campsite, three shelters for cooking, lockers with chargers, hot showers and an ADA-accessible restroom. The renovated loop also features five drive-in tent sites, including two ADA-accessible campsites.
With this segment open, people hiking, biking and rolling can enjoy eight miles of car-free trail heading east from Wyeth Trailhead (Exit 51).
Please note: This segment of trail does not yet connect to the Mitchell Point Tunnel. Construction on the last .7 miles (three-quarters of a mile) connecting to Mitchell Point is anticipated as soon as 2026.
Construction of this trail segment was challenging along the steep slopes and near the freeway. A mix of rockfall fences and rockfall mesh has been installed on six slopes adjacent to the trail and I-84 with large cranes to improve safety for trail and interstate users.
Learn more about the Historic Highway State Trail.
More information on work scheduled for 2023 and beyond is available on our project website. Stay tuned for more email updates!
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