I went on Easter Sunday with friends. Many people had the same thought, but we had no problems finding parking. Beautiful wildflowers were blooming. It was such a a glorious sight of balsamroot and lupines! It was much too windy for me, so after walking around for a bit and holding on to my hat, I went back to the car to enjoy the scenery while my friends hiked around for a bit. Definitely come out to enjoy a spectacular wildflower show if you get the chance! read more

Rowena Crest - Rowena Crest with friends! - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Magnificent views. But yes, hold on to your hats and phone, it does get very windy! Went on Easter. Busy because of the holiday but no issues with parking. read more

See all

Great view atop a bluff in the Columbia Gorge. We decided to detour a few minutes off I-84 as we were heading home to Portland. It was a winding road up the hill to the viewpoint. Parking was plentiful and the view was wonderful, looking east up the Columbia River. read more

Rowena Crest - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Magnificent view of the Columbia River Gorge. Gear grinder ~ another stop for cyclists to peddle up to this elevation. Many are shuttled up to the top to enjoy a hairpin downhill that is not for the faint of heart. Oncoming traffic makes either driver or biker nervous. Dirt hiking pathways through a nature preserve around this historic trail. One of the best views from atop of the Gorge. read more

Rowena Crest - Hairpin loop ;) - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

See all

Expansive views of the Columbia River Gorge, even more spectacular when the wild flowers are in bloom. It's truly magnificent! There is plenty of free parking and if you don't plan on hiking a trail, you can still enjoy fabulous views of the river and the famous curved road from the perimeter of the parking lot which is walled for safety. My goal was to visit when the wild flowers were in bloom so I kept logging into all trails dot com to see recent pics to make sure flowers were in abundance. Last week the winds were 32 miles an hour so I patiently waited and it paid off. Yesterday there were no winds at all! It was a sunny 72 degree day and the entire area was dotted with purple broadleaf lupine, bright yellow beach sunflowers and pink Columbia dessert parsley with some orange California poppy sprinkled in. Love! The Rowena Plateau Hike is an easy 1 mile hike through meadows of wildflowers, if you go between May and July. Mid April to mid June seems to be best. It's a lovely walk for a family or those who prefer even elevation and well worn paths. If you are hiking, do wear appropriate shoes as the trail is uneven in parts with some rocks. Often there are strong winds in the Columbia Gorge (hence the wind sailers on the river!) so plan accordingly, wear layers. There is no shade so wear a hat, put on sunscreen and bring plenty of water. As tempting as it may be, do NOT pick the wild flowers or step on them. This is a fragile ecosystem and part of a preservation system. Leave the trails as you found them! Dogs allowed here but must remain on leash. Gets very crowded on weekends when the wild flowers are in bloom. I was there on a sunny Tuesday and only encountered a handful of people along the trail. read more

See all

Fabulous spot for amazing views and fun hiking. It was a cold 40 last Saturday morning when we wound our way up to the Crest Overlook. Even with the leaves off the trees it is a pretty drive. We happened upon deer near the top on our way up and down. The overlook itself has a decent amount of parking, as well as a few spots at the Plateau trailhead. There were only a couple other people visiting on this clear morning, so we had full access to the panoramic gorge views. We moved on to take the mile hike from there. It's a fun, easy plateau trail with a couple of off-shoot trails enabling cliff edge views along the way. At this time of year it was a chilly, windy hike. The sun was shining, but we were still hit with a bit of very light sprinkles that luckily resulted in a full arch rainbow across the gorge. A few minutes later we spotted some soaring eagles...YAY for good timing! I would most definitely love to return to take the other trail accessible from the overlook, especially next spring to see the wildflowers. Beautiful views and wildlife, and a gorgeous rolling hills hike, yes please! read more

See all

We made a anniversary date day and drove out here from Newberg and then after this viewpoint continued on to Bend. My husband loves to drive so it was all about the drive and amazing views and sites to see along the way. Pretty view and nice drive. read more

Rowena Crest - Standing at the top - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Rowena Crest is a worthwhile little observation point while exploring along the scenic 74 mile Columbia River Gorge. I had researched that I should make time out of my journey to visit this famous curved road section. And...I'm glad I made it a point to come here. Overall, the views were terrific! Now...the only reason why I didn't give Rowena Crest 5 stars is because...you'll never believe this...the WIND!!! Yes the WIND! Alright, here goes...I'm not lying. I stopped here back over the summertime in late August. Yes, summertime! But...I'm not holding back. This Rowena Crest was the WINDIEST VIEWPOINT I have ever witnessed. Seriously...to the point that it was ABSOLUTELY UNBEARBALE to be hanging out here and walking around! Yet...the views and scenic surroundings of the city of The Dalles and the Columbia River running between Washington and Oregon states were really very beautiful. So...not only do you have the Rowena Crest curve to snap pictures of...but in every direction the landscape here at the end of the Columbia River Gorge was impressive. Funny, though I'm genuine in saying this...when I attempted to photograph the iconic curve, I really didn't feel comfortable holding my phone for pics. It felt like the wind was going to blow my phone right over the edge! I was scared, lol...I'm serious. In the end...I never got the ideal photos I was hoping for. Still, I spent about 20 minutes walking around the overlook area while trying to ignore the conditions. I just never could have imagined for the month of August the wind being so treacherous, especially since earlier in the day and coming from the waterfall section of the Columbia River Gorge...it was so pleasant outside without me even thinking about wind being a factor. Well actually, when reading other Yelper's reviews as to why this Rowena Crest is notorious for it's winds, I can now relate to them...as this wasn't some specific "one-off" day that I was experiencing. Finally, just some extra points I'd like to mention... - This area in the city of The Dalles is a great little town along the final portion of the Columbia River Gorge. I actually spent the evening here in town while getting myself gas and supplies for continuing on my cross country road trip. - There was a walking path area from this observation point where I did notice visitors hiking along to capture better perspectives, but due to the brutal winds...I couldn't hike it...I just had to return to my car and close the doors, lol. - Right nearby this Rowena Crest is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center - a museum and history for better understanding what makes this popular tourist destination so special. Overall, although the wind got the better of me on this particular day, I'm grateful I had the opportunity to see what Rowena Crest was all about. The scenery was memorably photogenic. I recommend visiting here for sure. Just...you gotta hope that the wind settles down a little and your experience can be a fulfilling one. read more

Rowena crest is an overlook area on the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. The overlook faces to the east and you can do long exposure shots of the road below. Across the Columbia River, you can see a bridge going over the Klickitat River. A great place to see Bald Eagles in winter time when the salmon are running. While I haven't been here in the spring, I understand that it's a great place to see wildflowers. read more

Rowena Crest - Long exposure of the hairpin turn - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

See all

The view from the parking lot provides a phenomenal vista of the Columbia River gorge and the extremely winding US-30. This is worth a stop just for that view alone. The trail is a pleasant walk thru wildflowers (but watch out for the large amounts of poison oak). read more

Rowena Crest - Is-30 - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Gorgeous view from rowena crest viewpoint! Drove from Portland and on the way back to LA, decided to stop by! Brrrr....it was reallyyyy cold and windy when we were up there. Wear warm clothes, gloves and scarfs before you stepped out of the car. We took our dog and she loves the view too! read more

See all

Nice views out here but like everything else about the Gorge Rowena Crest has gotten way too popular in recent years. You can get some good pictures and views right at the parking area. Head towards I-84 and it's a nice, easy hike with good views. You can also hike to the top of the "hill" but the trail tends to get crowded and downright congested especially on Summer weekends. Best times to go are weekdays, early (before 09:00). read more

Did a big Oregon road trip last weekend and had Rowena Crest on the to see list. Stopped by here on our drive from Smith Rock State Park to Portland. This place isn't too far from Portland. The drive up is through windy mountain roads. When we got to the top, there were quite a few motorcycles. I think the horseshoe road is more famous than the Gorge view lol. But the view of the river is a good one too! Definitely stop by here to check out the views. read more

Rowena Crest - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

See all

We've been here before for the spring wildflower bloom and maybe this time we came to soon because blooms were not what we hoped. beautiful views for sure both east and west. we've not experienced the crowds but maybe because we came in the middle of April. There are no rest room facilities so plan accordingly if you do decide to take one of the very nice trail opportunities. read more

See all

Husband and I stopped here after a day spent on the Hood River Fruit Loop. So glad we did...such a gorgeous view! It was pretty windy, but so worth it. It wasn't busy while we were there, so we lucked out on parking. The drive up to the viewpoint was pretty windy, but that made it more fun :-D The Fall colors are beautiful this time of year...makes for beautiful photos. Highly recommend a stop if you're in the Hood River area! read more

See all

Beautiful and accessible. A number of hikes all in walking distance and an essential Spring destination for the Gorge.

I requested read several brochures in the process of planning our trip to Oregon and was impressed by the photos of Rowena Crest Viewpoint to such a degree that I made stopping there a priority. We were staying in Hood River and I combined the drive to the Crest with a visit to Maryhill Museum of Art in Goldendale, WA and The Dalles. To get to the viewpoint you drive up a long and winding road which overlooks the winding road you just drove, but it also offers another excellent vantage point to enjoy the Columbia Gorge. read more

See all

It's gorgeous at Rowena Crest. I took my family on this crazy one week roadtrip and they loved it when we stopped at Rowena. We were the only family up there for a quick bit and it was phenomenal. The view is gorgeous and I would highly recommend it! I promised my fam that we could travel cheaply and see this beautiful world in so many places, Rowena is definitely a gem. The road gets a little crazy but its well worth the drive. Go at sunset, it'll take your breath away! read more

Rowena Crest - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Extremely cold up here. Temperatures reached a low of 28 degrees when we went. It might not be that cold to some people but for a California girl, I couldn't handle it. Be sure to bring scarves, hats, gloves, earmuffs, and whatever snow gear you have if you come during snow season. You are going to freaking need it. I was so cold that I had to go back into the car several times and turn on the heater to warm up. On a brighter note, this view is absolutely gorgeous and liberating. It really makes you stop and think about how small you and your problems are in this world. The drive up here was not bad, though it was very windy. So windy that your car will swerve. Kinda scary but totally worth it. read more

Rowena Crest - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

Absolutely beautiful! Just went yesterday! I had been on the trails many times but had not come to the lookout. Glad we did! The Trainer @54 read more

See all

Rowena Crest Viewpoint is about an hour and a half from Portland or just 45 minutes from Multnomah Falls. Getting here was easy. We just selected the address on Yelp and followed our GPS. Finding a view of the famous horseshoe curve wasn't so easy. We got to the location and looked all over for this horseshoe. We had a hard time finding it. We eventually found it by checking out other photos posted on the internet. Here's a tip...when you enter the parking lot, it's on the right side just before the parking lot bends. Here's another tip...bring a jacket. It gets windy and cold up here. Amazing 360-degree views of the Columbia River Gorge can be seen from the viewpoint. But let's be honest, we came here for the horseshoe curve. There's also multiple trails (Rowena Crest Trail & McCall Point Hike) from the Rowena Crest Viewpoint. The trails are clearly marked and if you're lucky like us, you'll spot some wild deer. read more

See all

Curves and S turns, this makes for a super fun drive and a scenic reward at the peak. read more

Rowena Crest - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - Mosier, Oregon

See all

Breathtaking and amazing view! It was my first time here, as I was staying in Portland, and I decided that I might as well check it out since I had gone to Multnomah Falls. It's a bit of a drive from Multnomah, about 45 minutes & a little over an hour from Portland. But the view was worth it! Definitely recommend going here! read more

See all

If you're in the Hood River area, Rowena Crest makes a beautiful diversion. The windy road up is a bit thrilling on a gusty day, and the drive may in fact be the best part. The views of the Gorge from the Crest are unparalleled. But, my God, does it get windy! It is windy enough that you may lose your hat, and think twice before perching yourself on a ledge. All in all it's a great vista, but you may find yourself bullied onward to Hood River earlier than anticipated by the wind. read more

Wife and I went on Saturday 5/5/2018. Weather was perfect. Flowers were beautiful. Views spectacular. Lots of people. You best go see this area before its gone. They tell people not to bring dogs, people do anyway. dogs running around in fields. Kids picking the flowers, parents not even a care, dog owners not even a care. People wandering off trails into fields, stomping flowers and vegetation. This beauty will be gone in the next 5-10 years... read more