Crown Point (also known historically as Thor's Heights or Thor's Crown) is a basalt promontory on the Columbia River Gorge and an associated state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in eastern Multnomah County, approximately east of Portland. Crown Point is one of the scenic lookouts along the Historic Columbia River Highway, providing a panoramic view of part of the Columbia River. It stands above the river and is the remains of a lava flow that filled the ancestral channel of the Columbia River 14 to 17 million years ago. The Point was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971.

Vista House

The 1918 Art Nouveau style Vista House is an observatory at Crown Point that also serves as a memorial to Oregon pioneers and as a comfort station for travelers on the Historic Columbia River Highway. The site, on a rocky promontory, is above the Columbia River on the south side of the Columbia River Gorge. The building shows great sensitivity to its site in the Columbia River Gorge near Corbett, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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File:Crown Point, OR.jpg|View from Crown Point looking over the Columbia River Gorge

File:VistaHouse.jpg|Vista House

File:Crown Point and Vista House, Columbia River Highway, Oregon (69070).jpg|A postcard of Crown Point from circa 1930–1945

File:THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE - NARA - 548010.jpg|Crown Point in 1973

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Crown Point Viaduct

The Crown Point Viaduct, built in 1914, is a viaduct consisting of an elevated sidewalk supported by columns and a retaining wall which encircle the tight loop of roadway around Vista House (1918). The viaduct is a contributing structure in the National Historic Landmarked and National Register of Historic Places-listed Historic Columbia River Highway.</blockquote>

See also

  • Interstate 84 in Oregon
  • List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Oregon
  • List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Oregon
  • US Route 30 in Oregon

References

  • Crown Point State Scenic Corridor Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
  • Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Troutdale, Multnomah County, OR: