Visiting Vista House at Crown Point
Approaching Vista House
Overlooking the Columbia River Gorge from a towering basalt cliff, you’ll find Vista House, perhaps the most scenic rest stop in the country. In the words of its designing engineer, Samuel Lancaster, it was built as a place where the natural beauty of the Columbia Gorge “could be viewed in silent communion with the infinite.” Today, finding silence at Vista House is tricky. The iconic observatory attracts about a million visitors each year. From its position on Crown Point, Vista House offers some of the best views in the Gorge that you can find without hiking. Here is everything you need to know for your visit.
Balcony at Vista House
What to see and do at Vista House
Take in the incredible views of the Columbia Gorge from Crown Point. There are sidewalks circling Vista House that offer panoramic views of the Gorge to the east and west. You can also climb upstairs inside Vista House to reach a balcony. Looking out from the balcony feels like standing on a castle turret overlooking an enchanted wilderness.
Admire the German Art Nouveau architecture of Vista House. Beyond its practical purpose as a wayside rest stop, Vista House was designed to harmonize with the nature that surrounds it. From its octagonal shape to its marble interior, Vista House is beautiful as well as functional.
Check out the museum downstairs to learn about the history of Vista House, the Historic Columbia River Highway, and the Columbia Gorge. There is no entrance fee to visit the museum.
Visit the gift shop and café downstairs. Proceeds go towards maintaining Vista House.
Vista House entrance
About Vista House
Before the construction of Interstate 84, the Historic Columbia River Highway provided access to the rugged and beautiful Columbia Gorge. The contrast between the two roads is striking. While the interstate provides an efficient road for travel, the Historic Columbia River Highway takes the scenic route. Built to serve as a complement to the natural features of the Gorge, it meanders past waterfalls and along the curves of steep hillsides and cliffs. The road becomes even more impressive when you realize that it was built the old-fashioned way: with picks, shovels, and skilled masonry.
Driving, or auto-touring to use the language of the time, would also have been much different in the early 1900s than it is today. Motorists setting off on the newly created Historic Columbia River Highway would have needed to prepare for breakdowns in remote areas as a matter of course. I learned at Vista House’s museum that these first drivers in the Columbia Gorge would have had goggles, repair kits, extra gasoline, and water to cool overheated radiators as a standard practice.
Opalized glass windows inside Vista House
Vista House has been the most important manmade highlight of the Historic Columbia River Highway since its construction in 1917. A far cry from a typical wayside rest stop, Vista House is a dome-topped octagon with a sandstone exterior and marble interior. Its tinted windows are made of opalized glass, which appears to glow when sunlight hits it just right. Twin marble staircases lead to a wrap-around balcony that provides 360-degree views.
It’s clear when visiting Vista House that nothing was done on the cheap. Funding has been a challenge for the observatory, both for its initial construction and for its upkeep over the years. Most recently, Vista House underwent a 5-year restoration beginning in 2001 that provided significant repairs and updated the building to meet current ADA standards.
Vista House seen from Chanticleer Point
About Crown Point
While the architecture of Vista House is impressive, the real treat is seeing the views of the Columbia Gorge from Crown Point. Two major natural processes contributed to the formation of Crown Point and the dramatic contours of the Columbia Gorge today: massive lava flows and massive floods.
When an influx of lavas from fissures in the east reached the present-day Columbia Gorge, they covered the area with layers of basalt. There was not only one, but several important lava flows that passed through the Gorge. Crown Point was formed by the Wanapum lava flow, one of the younger basalt flows, around 14 million years ago. These lavas filled in a canyon, likely where the Columbia River flowed at the time, changing the course of the river.
View of the Columbia Gorge from Crown Point
Then, millions of years later, an ice dam broke near Missoula, Montana, which released colossal amounts of glacial melt waters. Around 18,000 to 15,000 years ago, these floods surged through Eastern Washington and the Columbia River towards the Pacific Ocean. This series of floods was crucial in shaping the present-day Columbia Gorge due to the sheer volume and force of the water. The top of Crown Point is at the crest of these flood waters.
Vista House museum
When to visit
Vista House is open Friday - Monday from 9 AM to 5 PM. It may close during those times if winds are stronger than 50 mph.
You can still see the viewpoint and the exterior of Vista House when it is closed, but you won’t be able to enter the building or use the bathrooms.
Vista House is usually accessible year-round barring inclement weather. It does get windy up there, so make sure to bring layers on cold days.
Stairs to the Vista House balcony
Cost and parking
It is free to visit Vista House. No permit or pass is needed.
There is a parking lot next to Vista House as well as a few parking spots around the house itself.
Vista House is wheelchair accessible. There is a ramp around the east side of the building to reach the entrance and a lift inside to access the lower level of the building.
Tip from a local:
Vista House can get crowded and parking is limited. If you have trouble finding a spot, head one mile west on the Historic Columbia River Highway and turn right at the Portland Women’s Forum. The view there from Chanticleer Point is similar to that of Crown Point, plus you can see Vista House on the cliff. Parking is also free here and no pass is needed.
Parking lot at Vista House
Getting there
Vista House is an easy 30-minute drive from Portland. Take I-84 East to Exit 22, then follow the Historic Columbia River Highway about 4 miles until you arrive at Vista House.
If you’re coming from the east, take I-84 West to Exit 22.
Address:
40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy
Corbett, OR 97019
Enjoy the views at Vista House!
With love,
Emma
Looking for more to do in the area?
The Columbia Gorge has great hiking trails. Check out these suggestions for hikes close to Portland.
Or, you can continue on the Historic Columbia River Highway to reach its most interesting curves at Rowena Crest.
References:
Learn more about Vista House here.
For geology of the Columbia Gorge:
Miller, Marli Bryant. Roadside Geology of Oregon. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2014.
