HCRH State Trail - Cascade Locks to John Yeon

This car-free, paved segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail runs from Bridge of the Gods Trailhead in Cascade Locks on its eastern end to John Yeon State Scenic Corridor on the west end.

The trail departs the town of Cascade Locks just west of the Bridge of the Gods mural, paralleling the interstate for a few hundred feet before dipping into a wooded area. It passes under the interstate and after about two miles it crosses Ruckel Creek, which has a small but charming waterfall. Note that bikes are prohibited on nearby Ruckel Creek Trail #405.

The next major attraction along the trail, three miles west of Cascade Locks, is Eagle Creek Day Use Area and the Cascade Salmon Hatchery. Eagle Creek has an interesting history as the Forest Service's first developed campground, and today includes a forested picnic area, pavilion, and restroom which would make it a charming rest stop. It also provides access to the cliffside Eagle Creek Trail #440 (bikes prohibited). The state-run hatchery, important for local salmon, has self-guided tours available.

West of Eagle Creek, the trail climbs up a forty-foot staircase. Though equipped with a bike wheel groove, the stairs may pose accessibility challenges for some. The trail then passes offers an intimate view of the historic engineering marvel, Bonneville Dam, as it passes over Tooth Rock Tunnel (which houses the eastbound lanes of I-84). Many burned and fire-weakened trees were removed from the upslope side of this trail after the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, to prevent them from falling onto the interstate, but the slopes are already experiencing a rapid regeneration of wildflowers.

After a small substation, the trail passes Tooth Rock Trailhead and an underpass that leads to the Bonneville Dam Oregon Visitor's Center (Exit 40) to the south, with the trailhead for Wahclella Falls Trail #436 to the north. It crosses once more to the north side of the interstate and continues along the Columbia River until Moffett Creek, then crosses back south of the interstate through an area of forest where the impacts of Eagle Creek Fire are still apparent.

Here, the trail enters the John Yeon State Scenic Corridor, which ends at John B. Yeon State Trailhead. After this, cyclists will need to share the road with cars along frontage road to reach the Waterfall Corridor section of the Historic Columbia River Highway that starts at Ainsworth (Exit 35).

The full length of the segment runs 11 miles out-and-back. Note bikes are prohibited on several hiking trails in the area. Please respect all closures.