Inside a dark basalt tunnel, a paved trail curves toward a smaller arched opening cut into the rock, with pale daylight spilling in from the far side. The tunnel’s stone-lined entrance frames a sliver of the Columbia River Gorge and a lone tree on the ridge above.

Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail - Mosier Tunnels

Hood River, OR

The Mosier Twin Tunnels are restored sections of the original 1920s Columbia River Highway carved through basalt cliffs east of Hood River. The tunnels feature open windows blasted through the rock that frame views of the Columbia River Gorge. The paved trail segment runs 4.6 miles between Hood River and Mosier.

Photography Guide

Best Time: afternoon
Crowds: Quiet
Shot Types: landscapewidedetail
Best Seasons: springsummerfall

Practical Tips

The trail is open to hikers and cyclists; the eastern trailhead in Mosier has less congestion. The tunnel windows make excellent natural frames for gorge photos.

Is it a good day to go?

7-day outlook

Mild, dry days with light winds are the most comfortable for a visit.

Forecast by Open-Meteo. Verdicts weigh the forecast against the conditions that suit this spot.

Author's Comments

The first time I walked through the Mosier Tunnels I had the place almost entirely to myself, which still seems improbable given what is on the other side of the rock. The tunnels were carved in the 1920s as part of the original Columbia River Highway, and at some point along the way the engineers decided to blast windows clean through the basalt so that drivers could look out over the gorge as they passed. The road is gone now. The tunnels remain. Late afternoon in October is when I would send you. The gorge runs roughly east to west here, and in the last hours of the day the light comes raking down the river and into those window openings, throwing rectangles of warm gold against the dark interior walls. Stand inside the tunnel and let the frame do the work. The Columbia, the far Washington cliffs, the oak savanna on the lower slopes. All of it composed for you by men who were not thinking about photography at all and somehow got it exactly right. Start from the Mosier side. The eastern trailhead is quieter, and the walk in feels more like discovery than arrival. You will pass through dry oak country that does not look like the rest of the gorge, and then the tunnels appear in the rock and the river opens up beneath you. Bring a wide lens for the framed views and something longer for the details. The basalt itself is worth a frame or two. So is the way the light falls on the old roadbed when no one else is around.

Gallery

A narrow basalt tunnel opening sits in a rocky cliff beside the paved historic highway, with a gravel shoulder and caution signs in the foreground. Soft afternoon light and low mist or haze partially obscure the Columbia River Gorge beyond the cut in the rock. Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

A stone-faced tunnel carved into a basalt cliff opens onto a second arched tunnel in the distance, with rough rock walls framing the roadway. Soft afternoon light filters through the passage, highlighting the historic masonry and the rugged texture of the cliff. Photo: Oregon Department of Transportation / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0

A sweeping view opens over the Columbia River Gorge, with mist softening the far hills and a broad river curving through the center below. Dark basalt rocks and scattered evergreens fill the foreground under a pale, cloud-bright afternoon sky. Photo: Brian Hackworth / Pexels

A wide panoramic view looks over the Columbia River Gorge, with bright blue water curving between steep green hills and a winding highway below. In the foreground, a grassy bluff dotted with spring wildflowers leads the eye toward the river and distant cliffs under a partly cloudy sky. Photo: Liz Lauren / Pexels

Wide view from a high overlook shows the Columbia River winding between steep, forested cliffs under a pale afternoon sky, with autumn colors glowing across the valley floor. The edge of a dark basalt wall and trail lamps in the foreground hint at the historic tunnel route above the gorge. Photo: Liz Lauren / Pexels

A wide view looks out over the Columbia River Gorge in soft afternoon light, with calm water winding between layered blue-gray cliffs and autumn-colored trees in the foreground. The historic trail runs along the lower right edge, with the river and distant mountains fading into a hazy horizon. Photo: Liz Lauren / Pexels

A winding rail trail hugs the rocky shoreline of the Columbia River Gorge, with bright blue water and dry green hills leading the eye toward a snowcapped Mount Hood under a clear afternoon sky. The scene feels wide and open, with cliffs, scattered trees, and a sweeping historic corridor cut into the landscape. Photo: Joseph Phillips / Pexels

Nearby Places

A white waterfall drops into a dark pool between steep, columnar basalt walls, with bright green shrubs and patches of wildflowers in the foreground. The rocky canyon fills the frame, emphasizing the rugged texture of the gorge.

Hidden Gems

White Salmon, WA

Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail

Catherine Creek is a wildflower-rich area on the Washington side of the eastern Columbia River Gorge with views of basalt arches, oak woodlands, and the gorge below. Over 90 species of wildflowers bloom here from late February through June. A natural rock arch provides a striking foreground element for landscape photography.

morningspring

Sweeping view over the Columbia River Gorge with layered tan hills, dark basalt cliffs, and a calm blue stretch of river in the foreground. Snowcapped Mount Adams rises above the ridge under a clear blue sky.

Parks & Wilderness

Hood River, OR

Tom McCall Point

Tom McCall Point is a 3.4-mile round-trip hike that ascends through wildflower meadows to a 1,722-foot summit with views of the eastern Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood. The Nature Conservancy manages the surrounding preserve to protect rare plant species. Balsamroot and lupine blanket the hillsides in spring.

golden hourspring

Wide panorama from Rowena Crest overlooking the Columbia River Gorge, with bright sun reflecting off the river, green cliffs rising on both sides, and the Historic Columbia River Highway curving in horseshoe switchbacks below. The foreground shows rocky, brushy slopes and scattered evergreens, with a hazy golden-hour glow across the distant hills.

Photogenic

Hood River, OR

Rowena Crest Viewpoint

Rowena Crest sits at the eastern edge of the Columbia River Gorge and offers sweeping views of the river, Tom McCall Point, and the Historic Columbia River Highway's horseshoe curves below. The surrounding Tom McCall Nature Preserve hosts wildflower blooms in spring. The viewpoint marks the transition from the wet western gorge to the dry eastern grasslands.

golden hourspring · summer