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St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
The Columbia River and the Oneonta region are in the background.
Image taken April 22, 2006.
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St. Cloud ...
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The area of Washington State's St. Cloud Wayside was acquired by the U.S. Forest Service in 1990, with the area being developed in 1994. Formerly this was the site of the old St. Cloud Ranch homestead. It is possibly the largest remaining natural wetland in the Gorge, providing habitat for an extensive variety of wildlife. The site is culturally significant to American Indians - the nearby Watlala Tribe utilized the many plant and animal resources on the St. Cloud site. The open meadow offers views across the river to the
Oneonta Bluffs area and Multnomah Falls, and the old orchard provides shady picnic areas. St. Cloud wayside is accessible from Washington State Highway 14, just west of milepost 30 near the communities of Skamania and Skamania Landing. One mile upstream is the viewpoint for Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and approximately five miles upstream is Beacon Rock.
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St. Cloud Apple Orchard ...
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The U.S. Forest Service's St. Cloud Trail #4410 is a footpath less than a mile long, meandering through St. Cloud's 50-year-old apple orchard.
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St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
The Columbia River and the Oneonta region are in the background.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
The Columbia River and the Oneonta region are in the background.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Click image to enlarge
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St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
The Columbia River and the Oneonta region are in the background.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Click image to enlarge
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St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken April 22, 2006.
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Views from St. Cloud Wayside ...
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Washington State's St. Cloud Wayside provides excellent views of the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. The Oneonta Bluffs are upstream and Multnomah Falls is downstream.
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Oneonta Bluffs, as seen from St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Oneonta Bluffs, Oregon, as seen from St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Columbia River Gorge, Oregon side, as seen from St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Multnomah Falls, Oregon, as seen from St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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More Views from St. Cloud Wayside ...
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Columbia River and Oregon, from the St. Cloud Wayside, Washington.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 2, 1805 ...
Examined the rapid below us [from their camp at Fort Rains, looking at the Cascade Rapids] more pertcelarly the danger appearing too great to Hazzard our Canoes loaded, dispatched all the men who could not Swim with loads to the end of the portage below, I also walked to the end of the portage with the carriers where I delayed untill everry articles was brought over and canoes arrived Safe. here we brackfast and took a Meridn. altitude 59° 45' 45" about the time we were Setting out 7 Squars came over loaded with Dried fish, and bear grass neetly bundled up, Soon after 4 Indian men came down over the rapid in a large canoe.
passed a rapid at 2 miles & 1 at 4 miles opposite the lower point of a high Island on the Lard Side [Bradford Island], and a little below 4 Houses on the Stard. Bank, a Small Creek on the Lard Side [Tanner Creek] opposit Straw berry Island [Hamilton Island], which heads below the last rapid, opposit the lower point of this Island [Hamilton Island] passed three Islands covered with tall timber [today there are two, Ives and Pierce] opposit the Beatin rock [Beacon Rock]
Those Islands are nearest the Starboard Side, imediately below on the Stard. Side passed a village of nine houses [Skamania and Skamania Landing], which is Situated between 2 Small Creeks [Woodward Creek and Duncan Creek], and are of the Same construction of those above; here the river widens to near a mile, and the bottoms are more extensive and thickly timbered, as also the high mountains on each Side, with Pine, Spruce pine, Cotton wood, a Species of ash, and alder. at 17 miles passed a rock near the middle of the river [Phoca Rock], about 100 feet high and 80 feet Diamuter,
proceed on down a Smoth gentle Stream of about 2 miles wide, in which the tide has its effect as high as the Beaten rock [Beacon Rock] or the Last rapids at Strawberry Island [Hamilton Island],- Saw great numbers of waterfowl of Different kinds, Such as Swan, Geese, white & grey brants, ducks of various kinds, Guls, & Pleaver [today just below Beacon Rock is Franz National Wildlife Refuge]. ...
we encamped under a high projecting rock on the Lard. Side [Rooster Rock, with Crown Point rising above it], here the mountains leave the river on each Side
[leaving the Columbia River Gorge, Steigerwald Land NWR is on the north and the Sandy River delta is on the south],
which from the great Shute to this place is high and rugid [Columbia River Gorge]; thickly Covered with timber principalley of the Pine Species. The bottoms below appear extensive and thickly Covered with wood. river here about 2½ miles wide. Seven Indians in a Canoe on their way down to trade with the nativs below, encamp with us, those we left at the portage passed us this evening and proceeded on down The ebb tide rose here about 9 Inches, the flood tide must rise here much higher- we made 29 miles to day from the Great Shute [Cascade Locks]-
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