Driving Columbia Highway I-84: Waterfalls of the river gorge

One of my favorite runs is to Portland along I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. It is a beautiful drive in every season. Truckers will be able to see some of the waterfalls in the region along the gorge as they drive through. The scenery of the Columbia River, the tumbling waterfalls, colorful wild flowers and bright autumn colors always entertain us as we drive through the gorge.

Interstate 84 travels east and west, following the Columbia River and roughly the path of the old Oregon Trail from Idaho to Portland. It is also known as the Columbia River Highway No. 2 and the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6. It follows along or near U.S. Route 30. The entire highway was called I-80N until 1980, when this was changed to Hwy I-84.

The mighty Columbia River is the fourth-largest river in the U.S. but the largest in the immense volume of water flow in North American that drains into the Pacific. The gorge was cut through the earth crust beginning with glacial waters centuries ago. Cascading over the basalt canyons created by the Columbia River are over 200 waterfalls including Multnomah Falls, the second largest in the United States and third largest falls in the World.

For Multmoma Falls exit at #31, Wahclelle Falls at exit #40, Bridal Veil Falls surrounded by a State Park at exit #28, and Gorton Creek Falls at exit #51 is near camping. Unfortunately, there is no parking for semi-trucks with trailers. We find a safe secure place to drop our trailer and then bob-tail to places to see the falls if we want to hike and take a closer look.

Multmoma Falls – Exit at #31
Multnomah Falls is dramatic even seen from the highway and is a great place to start any waterfalls sightseeing, but don’t forget the other falls easily accessible from Columbia Gorge Highway I-84 along Rt. 30 while traveling through Oregon. Many falls have easy and scenic trails, glorious at any time of year but especially photogenic in autumn while dressed in fall colors.

Wahclella Falls – Exit 40
The trail to the Wahclella Falls is an easy and scenic 1.8 mile loop along Tanner Creek through cedar and douglas fir woodlands. The highlight of this trail is the impressive Wahclella Falls, which tumbles into a basin-like pool below. From 1-84 take the Bonneville Dam Exit #40 where the Wahclella/Tanner Creek #431 trailhead and parking lot are situated on the south side of the highway.

Bridal Veil Falls State Park – Exit 28
Traveling the scenic Columbia River Highway, Bridal Veil Falls State Park is only ¾ miles away. This park offers a nice parking area, picnic tables and restrooms all within easy walking distance and no day-use fee is charged. The park features two different trails: an upper walking/interpretive trail and a lower hiking trail to the falls 120' tall.

Gorton Creek Falls – Exit 51
Gorton Creek Falls is one falls with campground access. Wyeth campground is small and rarely filled, just park at the end of the campground, and walk up the trail.

Viento State Park – Exit 54
Zooming down Interstate 84 eastbound, you will probably miss a tiny state park with eastbound vehicle access only at Exit 54. Westbound sightseers can park at the trailhead at Viento at Exit 56 and walk the two miles to the park. Starvation Creek is much more than it appears, with one of the few waterfalls in this part of the gorge.

For more information on the Oregon State Parks, or call 1-800-551-6949.

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Highway I-84 in Idaho: What a trucker might miss as you drive by

Snake River - Lindsay Godfree

If you think there is nothing to see while you drive through Idaho on I-84, look again. The road through Idaho follows the Snake River for most of the trip and there are ever changing views of this winding river as it passes through canyons and gorges that offer many photo opportunities in different seasons and lights. The scenery gets more interesting keeping you alert, the more that you know about the area, the geography, history, rock formations and the wildlife.

Highway I-84 and the Snake River follow the north shore ledge of the ancient Lake Bonneville, so many of the formations of the land are due to the thousands of years of water flow of rivers and the tides of the Lake. Ancient Lake Bonneville crested at Red Rock Pass creating what is known as the Bonneville Flood. As the soft soils eroded at the pass, the lake poured into the volcanic plain of the Snake River and its canyons. Today it is the evidence left behind by this tremendous flood to the Snake River area that left us the house-size boulders, box canyons, and other formations to explore.

The Snake River is a major tributary arm of the Columbia River flowing through the states of Wyoming, Idaho, into Oregon, and Washington. For those who like statistics; the river’s length is 1,040 miles, its watershed drains 108,000 square miles, and the average discharge at its mouth is 56,900 cubic feet per second.

Keep your eyes open for flying raptors as you make your way to the next stop. The ecosystem of the Snake River supports extraordinary numbers of predators and prey. More than 700 pairs of raptors, representing 15 different species, nest on the canyon walls. Along 81 miles of the Snake River is 484,873 acres of The National Conservation Area located 35 miles south of Boise which is home to the largest concentration of nesting raptors in North America.

The Snake River Canyon is a large canyon formed by the Snake River in the Magic Valley region of southern Idaho and is best seen in Twin Falls where there is a view of a beautiful golf course deep in the canyon. There is truck parking near the visitor center in an empty dirt lot where you can stop to look into the canyon. It is well known as the site of an unsuccessful 1974 attempt by Evel Knievel, to jump over the canyon. After exiting the Snake River Canyon, the Snake receives the waters of more tributaries including the Malad River that is also seen from the highway.

The Malad River Canyon is 250 feet deep and only 2.5 miles long. As you drive by, you can see the Malad Gorge State Park, located right off Interstate 84 at Exit 147 where you can view the canyon and walk along the rim. The highway crosses over Malad Gorge, but the angle of view hides the deep gorge where the river cascades into Devil’s Washbowl. Views of the gorge are best from the slender-but sturdy-bridge that arcs across the canyon from the parking area, but there is no room for a trailer. If you can make it there, take a short hike to discover nearby fingers of the gorge where crystal clear springs produce ponds and streams. I always say – a hard driving trucker needs every excuse to get out and get some fresh air and exercise in natural surroundings.

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Truckers got to love that coast-to-coast highway

Bust of Abraham Lincoln overlooking I-80 in Wyoming -photo Lindsay Godfree

Spending your life traveling on America’s highways is a unique lifestyle, and you have to love “the road.” Cross country drivers really appreciate the Interstate Highways and the visionaries who built them especially when the roads are smooth and get you there fast. If you explore the conception and building of the highway systems, you will discover the origins of the Lincoln Highway, conceived in 1913 as America’s first coast-to-coast highway. At the beginning it was an experiment in road building that is eventually credited with “pulling the nation out of the mud and starting it on a great travel adventure.”

The original highway stretched from New York City’s Times Square at Broadway and Forty-Second Street to San Francisco’s Lincoln Park on the Pacific shore. It crossed the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California on its way across the country. Like the historic Route 66, it is often in pieces away from the current Interstate System but close by. Some sections are integrated in the current highway system.

While driving across Interstate 80 today you will find the Lincoln Highway in Wyoming, set with and an impressive bust of Abraham Lincoln atop a rocky outcropping just east of Laramie, and at the summit a welcome center for Wyoming. As a trucker, you may know this stretch of road well since it becomes very treacherous during the icy roads of winter and the hill is sometimes covered in snow and slick when other parts of the highway are not.

Henry Bourne Joy memorial - photo Lindsay Godfree

Amazingly, one man thought it was a great place to be buried. That man was Henry Bourne Joy, President of the Packard Motor Car Company, one of the major forces behind the Lincoln Highway Association whose goal it was to construct a concrete highway across the country. During his life he was dedicated to the dream of a cross country highway system for automobiles. He loved this highway so much he wanted to be buried on it at the end of his life. Although his family denied his request to be buried along the Highway they did erect the monument for him and you will find it at the foot of the Lincoln statue at the Summit Rest Area.

Also seen at this exit is a Wyoming welcome center with interesting dioramas of Wyoming’s wildlife with grizzly bear and some antelope that are often seen crossing the plains. You can look out the large picture window for a stunning view of the highway, traffic, a hawk perched on the treetop, wildflowers or silent snow drifts, depending on the time of year.

In Wyoming there is a driving tour of the Old Lincoln Highway consisting of two routes coming out of Laramie for a total distance of 145 miles. For directions and how to follow the Old Lincoln Highway consult the Lincoln Highway Assoc. I don’t imagine this is for truckers but would be an interesting side trip if you were waiting for a load in Laramie.

For a state-by-state series of guidebooks to this great road, start with a book titled, “The Lincoln Highway: Iowa and moves west from there.”

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