Mt. Saint Helens, Lewis & Wind River Valleys Drive by Victor von Salza, Winter 2005

A fun half day drive on paved two lane roads through the beautiful forested Lewis and Wind River valleys with many fine views of Mt. Saint Helens, Yale Lake, Swift Reservoir, and the Columbia Gorge.

Route Overview

Click on map to download original source map gpnf_vicinity.pdf, 400KB from the Gifford Pinchot National Forest web site.

The route is highlighted in green on map above, and described section by section below:

1. From Portland take I5 north across the Columbia to Washington Exit 9.
2. At the stoplight at the end of the Exit 9, go straight for a couple of miles until,
3. At the next stoplight, turn right onto Highway 502.
4. In Battle Ground at the junction with 503, turn left onto Highway 503.
5. When you reach the stop sign at the 503/90 junction,turn right onto Forest Road 90.
6. When leaving Pine Creek watch the signs and make a right to continue on Forest Road 90.
7. When you come to it, turn right on to Forest Road 51 (Curly Creek Rd).
8. At the end of Forest Road 51 (Curly Creek Rd), turn right onto Forest Road 30
9. When you reach the Columbia Gorge at the end of Forest Road 30, turn right onto Highway 14, and
10. Take Highway 14 back to I5, and return south to Portland.

Road Conditions & Hazards

In general these are all fine two lane paved roads, but regardless of the time of year, it's still good to check the detailed Gifford Pinchot National Forest Road Conditions page for current road conditions and closures due to road work, weather, or Volcanic Activity.

Slumps & Dips - See Forest Road 83 Lava Canyon Side Trip (below).

Elk - Along Forest Road 90 by the Swift Reservoir we rounded a corner and found an elk crossing the road into the brush where there were several others.

Sun - If you find yourself returning late in the day, there are many stretches along Highway 14 where you will be driving directly into the sun. Stop in Carson and clean your windshield (which by this point is likely to be heavily bug spattered) before getting onto Highway 14 at the Columbia Gorge.

Weather & When

A fine clear day in October is my favorite and most recommended time to do this trip, but any clear day in Spring or Summer is good too. Fog and mid level clouds will obscure the many fine views of Mt. Saint Helens you see on this route. In Winter snow and ice can be a problem, and repaving can be a hazard during the Summer/Early Fall.

Even though it's on the opposite side of Mt. Saint Helens the Mt. Saint Helens VolcanoCam at Johnston's Ridge Observatory is the best source for determining visibilty of Mt. Saint Helens. The Intellicast IR Loop of the Pacific Northwest is good for checking on cloud cover, and their Radar Loop for rain and the direction that it is moving.

I recommend leaving Portland mid to late morning to avoid traffic and fog; this puts you on the Forest Road 90 section around midday, with many nice places along the way (Lava Canyon and McClellan Viewpoint are my favorites) to stop and enjoy a picnic lunch (from Pearl or Grand Central Bakery).

Route Photos and Notes

Along Forest Road 30

Lots of tight curves on the decent into the Wind River Valley, then it's a mostly straight but scenic trip down the Wind River Valley to Carson and the Columbia Gorge. Plan to take photos along this stretch next time out.

Along Highway 14

A scenic two lane road along the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge. In Stevenson you can bypass downtown by taking a left just before entering town, less traffic and fewer stops signs. Just before leaving the Columbia Gorge Highway 14 crosses a steep cliff face, with a spectacular view (see Going the other Direction below) of the Columbia Gorge, unfortunately the only turnouts are on the opposite (East bound) side of the Highway.

Alternate Return Route

Route: Bridge of the Gods, Highway 84 West, to Columbia River Scenic and Crown Point Highways (details coming in 2006)

Pros: Great views of a number of waterfalls and the Columbia River.

Cons: Highway 84 traffic, tourist traffic on weekends.

Going the Opposite Direction

Pros: In the Fall you get to see this fantastic view of the Columbia Gorge along Highway 14

Cons: Fewer views of Mt. Saint Helens as you drive and ending the trip with the mostly boring Vancouver to Battle Ground segment.

Forest Road 83 Lava Canyon Side Trip

Route: Just after your first glimpse of Swift Reservoir Forest Road 90 enters a treed area, watch for Forest Road 83 on your left. On the way out to Lava Canyon there are two patches of road that have slumped a few inches forming two large dips in the road; they can be hard to see in the dappled sunlight.

Pros: On a clear day this dramatic view of Mount Saint Helens,

Lava Canyon (see, More to See below) and a nice spot to have lunch.

Cons: Limited scenery on way out, including one clear cut area, some possible logging traffic on first few miles, closed in Winter, Northwest Forest Pass required (and available) at Lava Canyon Parking/Picnic Area.

More to See off Forest Road 83

Ape Canyon

Lava Canyon

Trail of Two Forests and Ape Cave

Links

Pdx MINI

Comments & Suggestions

Please send any comments or suggestions you have regarding this web page, to victor@vonsalza.com

Happy Motoring!

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Copyright © 2005-2006 by Victor von Salza all rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos by Victor von Salza

Web site design by Victor von Salza