While driving from Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge to The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington, we drove through miles and miles of rolling, golden fields of wheat, stretching far out from the highway with four Cascade Range Volcanoes in the background.
The views were expansive and beautiful, and the giant volcanoes standing strong in the distance were magnificent. We had somewhere to be and didn’t have much time to stop, but when we saw a roadside marker in the Kickitat Valley pointing out the names of the volcanoes right in front of an old, abandoned, wooden cabin, Brian pulled over for a quick pit stop.
I really wanted to explore the cabin a bit, but because we didn’t have time, Brian planned to stop again on our drive home… I couldn’t wait!
On our drive home, just south of Goldendale, Washington in Klickitat County we again stopped at the roadside pullout with the informational highway marker and old abandoned cabin. Sitting on Highway 97, it is called the Cascade Volcano Viewpoint.
Cascade Volcano Viewpoint
Thankfully, it was once again a gorgeous, clear day so we had amazing views of valley floor pastureland and the snow covered volcanic mountains Visible from this viewpoint are:
- Mount Hood: Elevation 11,245
- Mount Saint Helens: Elevation 8,365
- Mount Adams: Elevation 12,307
- Mount Rainer: Elevation 14,410
Abandoned Farmhouse Cabin
Even though it was still morning, the sun was blazing overhead and it was ridiculously hot. The kids opted to stay in the truck with Brian, enjoying the air conditioning, while I hopped out and waded through the tall field to the cabin.
There were two other people walking around the cabin when I walked up and they warned me of the snakes they saw inside the house. That freaked me out. I was in flip flops and running into a snake wasn’t something I wanted to experience, so I snapped a few photos and called it a day.
If we ever drive past this scenic viewpoint again, I am going to bring tall boots and explore the old, abandoned house a bit more!
I love that the land owners leave these old buildings standing as a testament to their history. Old buildings, especially sitting in nature, are so beautiful. I also love that there are informational signs, mountain identifiers, and vista points at regular intervals along the highways in Oregon and Washington.
