Barlow Pass (Oregon)
Encyclopedia
Barlow Pass is a 4155 feet (1,266.4 m) mountain pass
in the Cascades in Oregon
, on the Oregon Trail
, and a major milestone of the Barlow Road
. It is the crest of the Cascade Mountains: the dividing line between watersheds of the Deschutes River and those that flow into the Sandy River
.
It is located on the southern flanks of Mount Hood
and traversed by Oregon Route 35. Highway 35 and the Barlow Road converge to within 400 ft (125 m) at the pass. Originally a "rustic and scenic" summer road, Highway 35 was straightened and widened throughout 1964–1968 for practical winter road maintenance. Sharp turns were eliminated and elevation changes more graduated, unlike the Barlow Road, which sharply descends westward at the foot of the pass. The Barlow Road route is popular for cross country skiing,
and the pass is a trailhead to the Pacific Crest Trail
, which runs north and south across the pass.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Cascades in Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, on the Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail is a historic east-west wagon route that connected the Missouri River to valleys in Oregon and locations in between.After 1840 steam-powered riverboats and steamboats traversing up and down the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers sped settlement and development in the flat...
, and a major milestone of the Barlow Road
Barlow Road
The Barlow Road is a historic road in what is now the U.S. state of Oregon. It was built in 1846 by Sam Barlow and Philip Foster, with authorization of the Provisional Legislature of Oregon, and served as the last overland segment of the Oregon Trail...
. It is the crest of the Cascade Mountains: the dividing line between watersheds of the Deschutes River and those that flow into the Sandy River
Sandy River (Oregon)
The Sandy River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Measured by a United States Geological Survey gauge downstream of the Sandy's confluence with the Bull Run River, from the mouth, the river's average discharge is . The maximum daily recorded flow...
.
It is located on the southern flanks of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
and traversed by Oregon Route 35. Highway 35 and the Barlow Road converge to within 400 ft (125 m) at the pass. Originally a "rustic and scenic" summer road, Highway 35 was straightened and widened throughout 1964–1968 for practical winter road maintenance. Sharp turns were eliminated and elevation changes more graduated, unlike the Barlow Road, which sharply descends westward at the foot of the pass. The Barlow Road route is popular for cross country skiing,
and the pass is a trailhead to the Pacific Crest Trail
Pacific Crest Trail
The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico...
, which runs north and south across the pass.