The West Cascade Scenic Byway

The byway travels through much of the Willamette National Forest, offering some of the best up-close views of thundering waterfalls, ancient forests, rushing whitewater, and cool, placid lakes.

• Length: 222 miles / 354.1 km
• Time to Allow: Eight hours

From the Oregon Department of Transportation

The 220 mile West Cascades Scenic Byway runs north to south, skirting the northern half of Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range. Nurtured by abundant rainfall, the Western Cascades are bursting with life. The lush forests provide excellent habitat for northern spotted owl, bald eagle, pine marten, pileated woodpecker, Roosevelt elk, blacktailed deer, and mule deer. The rivers along the byway - including the North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette, the McKenzie, the North Santiam, and the Clackamas - support many game fish, including rainbow trout, steelhead, chinook salmon, bull trout, and a rare species of cutthroat trout. Spectacular views of snowcapped mountains (Jefferson, Washington, Three Fingered Jack, and the Three Sisters) are omnipresent - keep your camera handy! Myriad recreational activities make this byway an outdoors person's paradise. For hikers, there are three well-maintained National Recreation Trails - and hundreds of miles of other trails, all accessible from the byway. The byway's lakes provide ample opportunities for boating and swimming. Kayakers and rafters will find challenge on the whitewater portions of the rivers. Anglers will encounter willing trout in the riffles and pools that are but a short walk from the road; several fishing piers are also available on the lakes. There are faster ways to get from Eugene to Portland. But you'll be hard-pressed to find a more scenic route.

Pure, cascading rivers. Towering old growth Douglas firs. Peaceful lakes. Snowcapped volcanic peaks. This is the Oregon many visitors imagine. And this is the Oregon you'll find on the West Cascades Scenic Byway.

Details at https://www.tripcheck.com/Pages/Scenic-Byways-West-Cascades

Oregon Scenic Byways Official Driving Guide