Bradley State Scenic Viewpoint

Chester H. Armstrong, History of the Oregon State Parks: 1917-1963

Bradley Wayside is located on the lower Columbia River Highway about 22 miles east of Astoria at the summit of Clatsop Crest in Clatsop County.

This delightful area of 18.08 acres was first given to Clatsop County as a park by the heirs of the Bradley estate in 1921. By an agreement the Highway Commission obtained the area on March 25, 1922, but the deed giving title to the state was not signed until April 13, 1932. The Bradley heirs approved the deed subject to the same provisions as contained in the deed to Clatsop County.

Bradley Wayside is essentially a viewpoint overlooking the Columbia River and its Washington shore. It is covered with a good stand of fir timber and other indigenous species.

Developments are a car parking area, picnic area and a water system from a source some two miles to the west under permits #8454 and Q-748 from Kaiser Gypsum, Inc. Sanitary facilities and a caretaker's cottage were constructed in 1923.

A concessionaire was obtained who operated under a contract. Many extensions of the contract were made over a period of several years. This arrangement was never quite satisfactory neither financially nor from a park maintenance standpoint.

When the highway was reconstructed through Bradley Wayside, it was located south of the buildings. The moving of this road did not interfere with the viewpoint of this park nor did it affect the use of the picnic area. Instead, the provision of a good entrance road resulted in an increase of 15,000 visitors the following year.

The 1963 visitor count was 57,028.

The following permits affect this wayside:

Water right permit #9020, issued June 14, 1923 for 0.25 c.f.s.

Permit #393 for logging road issued to Kaiser Gypsum, Inc. on December 27, 1957, to expire March 4, 1965.

Permit 310 for power line, issued to Bonneville Power Administration on September 29, 1952, for an indefinite period.

Permit 1531 for pay telephone to Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Co., dated January 18, 1954, to expire when state requests.

Permit 8464 given by Kaiser Gypsum Company for water line, dated May 10, 1960, for indefinite term.

Permit Q-748 given by Kaiser Gypsum Company for water supply, dated June 2, 1960, for an indefinite term.

Oregon State Parks: Bradley State Scenic Viewpoint

Originally given in 1921 to Clatsop County by the heirs of Nathan Bradley, the park was transferred to the state in 1922. At one time, it was developed as a concession area for motorists and equipped with a caretaker's cottage. The cottage no longer remains.

Acreage: 18.01

Annual day use attendance: 96,956

Oregon State Archives - A 1940 Journey Across Oregon

The highway ascends the Coast Range in a series of hairpin turns to CLATSOP CREST, 79.7 m. [West of Portland] overlooking the Columbia River and the country beyond. In the immediate foreground is long, flat PUGET ISLAND, where grain fields and fallow lands weave patterns of green and gray, and sluggish streams form silvery canals. Although the island is close to the Oregon shore, it lies within the State of Washington. It was discovered in 1792 by Lieut. Broughton of the British Navy, who named it for Lieut. Peter Puget.

Lyn Topinka. The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey

The Bradley State Wayside (also called Bradley State Scenic Viewpoint), located on Nicolai Ridge at Oregon's Clatsop Crest, was one of the first parcels donated as park land to the Oregon Highway Commission in 1922. The park features a restroom, monument, and tremendous views of the Columbia River, Puget Island, and Wauna, Oregon. Bradley State Wayside is located on Oregon's U.S. Highway 30, twenty-two miles east of Astoria, Oregon. Bradley Wayside is located on Oregon Highway 30 at Milepost 79.9 and Columbia River Mile (RM) 40. Upstream is Wauna and Westport and downstream are Bradwood and Clifton.

Michael C. Taylor, Road of Difficulties: Building the Lower Columbia River Highway

This 18.08-acre wayside was first given to Clatsop County as a park by heirs of the Bradley estate in 1921, and in 1923 a caretaker's cottage and sanitary facilities were constructed. The park was donated to the state with conditions that the area be developed for public use, and that a monument be erected, subject to approval by the Bradleys. The deed was signed on April 13, 1932, and the monument, resembling a very large stone chair, duly erected.

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In 1955, when the new highway was constructed, it bypassed the wayside, which must now be intentionally sought out rather than driven through.

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Over the years, various amenities were added, including a parking lot, picnic area, and water system [the lot and picnic area actually built on the decommissioned highway fragment through the park].

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Today, Bradley Park is the only officially designated state park on the old route of the Lower Columbia River Highway...

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Melody McKinley, September 11, 2020:

Somewhere I hope I still have a photo of a couple Sisters and I sitting on the marble/granite? dedicatory bench. Years later I took a photo of MY Daughters together on the same bench. Bradley Park was always a stop, when taking the Oregon side to the Beach. Great view of the Columbia River.

In the photo above, note the eastbound highway running behind the hill at the left side of the photo, where it continues through the lawn with the picnic tables in the photos below.

On the Bradley/Clatsop Crest side, the original route, coming from the west from the abandoned Hunt Creek Fragment, curved up the current park road, ran along the fence, ran down where the picnic area is, and straight, over the new highway cut, to connect with the top of the Whidby Loops.

I've checked it all out on the Bradley side, past the fence at the end of the lawn, and that's definitely highway all the way to the cut. Beyond the fence, if memory serves, there is a fern covered pile of all the pavement stripped from the lawn. Beyond that, the old grade is still paved. Unfortunately, I don't have my photos from beyond the fence up yet, but I'll share them when I find them!

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Stephen Kemper, March 11, 2020:

I've looked down past the fence at Bradley as well, and walked along the highway trying to see anything that looks like the road up above. It is almost impossible to see anything unless you know exactly where to look. Kirk and I discussed leaving a marker of some type on the top of the old road going to loop 1 specifically so we could find it from the new highway.

The new highway is actually clearly visible from where the pavement ends going uphill from the first loop. A small bright piece of tape should be visible when walking along the highway, if you have an idea of where to look.

A. F. Litt, March 11, 2020:

If I remember right, once you get over the fence, you can find pavement. It may or may not still be under the lawn.

Brian Colburn, March 14, 2020:

The road past the picnic area has been heavily reclaimed by nature.

A. F. Litt, March 14, 2020:

Dirt there? Beyond the fence there, I think that pile is all the pavement from the lawn now that I have this picture to refresh my memory. I think the pavement starts beyond that.

Kirk J. Poole, March 16, 2020:

So, you're saying the State ripped up the pavement to the left and piled it up beyond the fence? It's only about 150 feet to the edge of the cliff at the big cut. I expect asphalt to still be underneath all that brush. I still need to test the grass in the park (along the cliff), and then find my way around the fence and test the remainder the way to the road cut. The conditions beyond the fence are the same as the Whidby Loops are in. So much to see in about 1/3 of a mile!

A. F. Litt, November 14, 2022

Back in August, I finally made it past the fence at Bradley once again. Not sure if the pile past the fence is torn up pavement or not, the duff was too deep there too figure it out one way or the other, but out near the cut, I was able to dig through and find some pavement under the leaves and brush. Brian's photo shows how much duff has accumulated since the current fence was put in, and I am sure it is deeper than that further back toward the cut and the loops.

A. F. Litt, November 14, 2022

Other than being the CRH in Clatsop County, I have no actual location information on the above photo, however it does look a lot like the profile of the highway above the Widby Loops, heading westbound into Bradley Park. This is still just an poorly educated guess, though. There is another photo of construction with the horse cart tracks that we believe was taken below the loops on the Bugby Mountain Grade Fragments page.

Photo Currently Unavailable

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