Vista House

Created in 1920 as a memorial to Oregon’s pioneers and as a resting place for weary travelers, Vista House ranks as one of the most beautiful and inspiring sites in the Pacific Northwest and it has been designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Unfortunately, Vista House had fallen victim to the weather extremes of the windswept Columbia Gorge. Faced with a deteriorating interior and exterior and system failures, the Vista House was in desperate need of restoration.

The Oregon State Parks Trust, in partnership with Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and Friends of Vista House, led a successful campaign to raise over $2 million to restore Vista House to its historically accurate glory.

Improvements included interior restoration, new interpretive exhibits, a site and building security system, ADA accessible improvements and a building fund for future needs. The project included full accessibility for people with disabilities: disabled parking spaces, a ramp for access to the rotunda and a lift that provides access to the downstairs from the rotunda.

Please include a trip to the restored Vista House in your travel plans.  Thank you for your support that helped restore this building to its original splendor!

Volunteers in the Gorge

Volunteers in the Gorge is a unique group of trained individuals who preserve and protect resources, discourage criminal behavior and provide support and information to state park users.

Throughout 2008, Oregon State Parks Foundation served as the fiscal sponsor for Volunteers in the Gorge.