COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE – Work begins Wednesday, Sept. 9, to clear debris from the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail east of the Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery.
The trail has been closed since December 2025 rainstorms. The Historic Columbia River Highway Trail between Eagle Creek and Cascade Locks has been impassable since mid-December 2025 due to heavy rain and the subsequent Ruckel Creek landslide. Landslide debris measures up to 12 feet deep with a significant number of large boulders and trees. Â
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will be removing debris from the trail, located off Interstate 84 between Bonneville and Cascade Locks. Heavy equipment will be busy in the area, so if you are traveling on the historic highway in the next few weeks, please use caution.Â
The Historic Columbia River Highway Trail remains closed between Eagle Creek and Cascade Locks at the Bridge of the Gods, and it is vital that hikers refrain from entering the trail, especially with heavy equipment operating there.
The only route around the closure for bicycles is taking Interstate 84, and there will not be a safe route for hikers while construction is underway.
Once the debris has been cleared by this Fall, the U.S. Forest Service will evaluate the trail and adjacent slope stability for safety. Further updated information can be found on the Forest Service page.
Oregon Parks and Recreation, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Emergency Management, Hood River County, the City of Cascade Locks, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the U.S. Forest Service have been working in cooperation on the trail.
The Ruckel Creek Trail remains closed since the Eagle Creek Fire in 2017.
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