Best Route from Redmond, OR to Cascade Locks?

[Stan Simpson]

When we leave Redmond, we are planning to stay at Timberlake RV Park near Home Valley, WA. The campground suggested we cross the Columbia River at Cascade Locks, whereas Garmin says cross at Hood River.

Both routes would take me off US 26 to OR 35 to Hood River, where I can cross or take I-84 to Cascade Locks. How is that OR 35? Or should I just take US 197 to The Dalles and be done with it?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Stan

[Joel Ashley]

35 is great for any size rig, has not a lot of traffic, and takes you through some great country and quaint towns, from Mt. Hood's eastern flanks and along the Hood River and right into world-famous fruit territory.  This time of year is a smidge early for all varieties, but you should find an array of fresh goodies from cherries (nearing their end), apricots, peaches, with apples and pears coming on and available at any of a slew of fruit stands.   I could recommend some side trips/stops, but you'll likely be wanting to get to Timberlake and may not have the time.  Let me know.  When we took a daytrip for blossom time this Spring, one of the main drags through Hood River city proper was dug up big-time for resurfacing, but in an RV coming from 35 onto I-84 you shouldn't run into that problem.

I'm not familiar with Home Valley, nor have I used the Cascade Locks bridge in many years, much less in an RV.  From the map, it would appear to me to make more sense to hit the Hood River bridge than to go to Cascade Locks and then have to cut back east on 14 to Carson/Home Valley.  Either 197 or 97 are fine roads that we've used in our Beaver, often in the late fall coming home from BCS if 26 or 20/22 are snowed in.  They wend over and around gentle hills and open country and have relatively little traffic.  I haven't taken the bridge at the Dalles for awhile since we usually hit I-84 instead.  But 97 at Biggs we use a lot since we often go across to Maryhill State Park.  Just down the road skirting the RV park(s) along the river is a great place to pick fresh apricots and peaches.  Once across the bridge you either stay on the highway and start up the grade to the plateau, or turn right onto that park road.  At or near the top of the plateau is the Stonehenge replica, and also Maryhill Museum, a very different and special kind of place.  You intersect Washington's Highway 14 at the plateau top and pass the Museum off 14 headed west.

By the way, you likely will enjoy Timberlake by the look of its video.    I am envious!

Joel

[Stan Simpson]

Great information, Joel. We couldn't get to Redmond without dropping down to Bend to see BCS. We were there twice; nice folks, and it was especially nice meeting Mike in parts.

Stan

[Bruce Sieloff]

I would not recommend the Hood River Bridge unless you are VERY comfortable with zero clearance situations. The bridge was built in the 30's and is very narrow. I drove our '45 Marquis across it last summer and spent the entire transit looking in the drivers rearview mirror, keeping the tag RIGHT on the yellow line, not daring to look at the passenger mirror to see if it was clearing the bridge columns lest I clip it by wandering over 2". Passing a semi going the other way made for a real pucker moment. I made it OK but would take the bridge farther upstream rather than do that crossing again, and I consider myself one of those "nerves of steel" guys.  
If the campground you are talking about is near Stevens, we camped there last summer and it is a very tight squeeze for a larger coach, entrance roads are very narrow, although the campsites are nice enough once you get in under the low hanging limbs. Not much to recommend it from an amenities POV either, mostly you are in a gravel pad on a hillside in the woods. Also a no-go again for us.

[David T. Richelderfer]

If you didn't/don't like crossing the Hood River Bridge, then you would/will also hate to cross the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks.  They're both narrow and would make any Beaver owner pucker the whole mile.  I am not sure, but the Bridge of the Gods may have a weight restriction that would preclude our coach weights anyways.  The best places to cross would be either at The Dalles, Biggs or on I205 in Portland.  The other problem you will run into is the tunnels up and down the Washington side of the Columbia River.  I know there is a tunnel near Lyle, just downstream from The Dalles, and other tunnels downstream from there, but I don't remember exactly where the other downstream tunnels are relative to Bingen/While Salmon, Carson, Stevenson, North Bonneville, etc.

If it were me, then I would take 97/197 from Madras to The Dalles, and cross the river at The Dalles.  Now realize 197 going down off the bluff into Maupin ain't no piece of cake, and crossing the couple hundred yard bridge at Maupin is a bit narrow too... but nothing like the narrowness and length when crossing the Columbia River at Hood River and Cascade Locks.  Frankly, I don't know where Home Valley, WA is.  But I would be looking for a better route to avoid the two narrow bridges and the tunnels.

Good luck...  and may the force be with you.

[David T. Richelderfer]

lolol  I found Home Valley and the Timberlake RV Park.  It's just across the river from Carson to the East.  There are FIVE tunnels upstream from Carson to the Hood River Bridge; and at least one more tunnel between the Hood River Bridge and The Dalles Bridge near Lyle.  Maybe you can cross the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks, maybe not.  The benefit to crossing there is no tunnels between the Bridge of the Gods at Cascade Locks going upstream to Carson.

[Stan Simpson]

Update!

We are camped at Timberlake RV Park! Crossed at Hood River (Joel, the drive up OR 35 was spectacular! Great views of Mt Hood!). Crossing that bridge was pretty cool. Had the road side tires on the inside yellow line, and tried like heck not to waver. We made it without incident. I sure wouldn't even attempt it at night! We went through 5 tunnels from Hood River to Home Valley, the shortest one being 12'-9" on the shoulder. They were all very short, 50-60 yards or so, and I went down the middle of the arch except the one that was 13'-9" at the shoulder. No incidents, thank goodness.

Once we turned off WA 14 onto Berge Rd which is 8 miles west of Stevenson, it was a very steep climb to the campground. Trees are all trimmed at the entrance, and nice landscaping has been added. Host helped us back in to site 3 which is crushed stone, and pretty level. We have full hook ups with 50 amp. The told me he had one of the satellite companies take a telemetry readiing and this is the best one for getting a signal. Put the dish up and got TV with no interference.

We went in to Stevenson to do laundry, grocery shop, and have dinner. The site of the hundreds of wind surfers on the Columbia River was beautiful. Today, we're going exploring.

Thanks all for the comments and suggestions.

Stan