Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail: Wyeth to Viento

The Mitchell Point segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is a 5.8-mile point-to-point walk from Wyeth Trailhead to Viento State Park. Its paved shared-use path passes forest, a talus slope, a long viaduct and several waterfalls. Allow about two and a half to three hours one way; without a ride from Viento, walking back makes it about 11.6 miles total.

For its first mile the route threads through trees, then crosses Shellrock Mountain’s talus slope behind rockfall fences. It climbs east over the 500-foot-long Summit Creek Viaduct and the Mossy Road, a stretch of historic highway that spent decades moss-covered before being cleared. The Lindsey Creek Bench Cut opens onto the Columbia Gorge; later come Hole-in-the-Wall Falls, Cabin Creek Falls and Starvation Creek Falls. Hole-in-the-Wall pours from a diversion tunnel. Starvation Creek, about 4.6 miles from Wyeth, has a restroom and picnic tables. At the concrete overlook, frame the river through the pillars.

Start at Wyeth Trailhead, just west of Wyeth Campground, with free parking, a vault toilet and water fill. Viento is the east end and has fee-required day-use parking; arrange a pickup or walk back. Bicycles and permitted e-bikes share the pavement, and sections run beside I-84. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.