From Tanner Creek at Bonneville, to Eagle Creek, distance 1.6 miles, the road ascends gradually for slightly more than a mile, through wooded hills, suddenly coming out on a rock point, overlooking the Columbia River at an elevation of 240 feet.
This is the divide. The road passes around the end of the mountain, which untold centuries ago was broken off by some fearful convulsion of nature. The Indians have a legend of a natural bridge spanning the Columbia at this point.
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"Eagles Nest" Columbia River Highway Ore. #396"This is an unused vintage Real Photo Post Card produced by early 20th Century photographers, Cross & Dimmit. The image was taken circa 1918. Photo post cards of this type were made between 1918 and 1940. As this post card is approximately 70 to 90 years old, minor imperfections and condition issues may be present." Friends of Vista House. From the collection of A. F. Litt.Image Currently Unavailable
Highway at Mount WaunaLipschuetz and Katz. Oregon's Famous Columbia River Highway. Portland: Lipschuetz and Katz. 1920.University of California Librarieshttps://archive.org/details/oregonsfamouscol00lipsImage Currently Unavailable
Spring 2011, Source uncertainComparing the images above and below, you can use the rail bridge as a reference, it is the same in both images. You can see where the old highway was blasted off the side of the cliffs, leaving a big scoop out of the hillside.
This Forest Highway Enhancement project changed the striping on the Eagle Creek Exit Ramp to provide a contra-flow bike lane connection to the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area office of USDA Forest Service designed and constructed this project in 2010.