Touch Grass: Chanticleer Point
According to the Oregon State Parks website, “The same view that attracts visitors from around the globe inspired the visionaries of the Historic Columbia River Highway, built in 1918 as the first road linking Portland and The Dalles. This small park’s namesake organization, the Portland Women’s Forum, was active in preserving the natural beauty along the Gorge and donated the land to the state.” With 4.5/5 stars from over 200 reviews on TripAdvisor, Chanticleer Point is a well-loved location. The Oregon Hikers website discusses the history of Chanticleer Point, saying “the site was once home to the Chanticleer Inn, built in 1912 but which burned down in 1930. In the 1950s, the Portland Women’s Forum, a group instrumental in the founding of the original Columbia River Gorge Commission, purchased the property and donated it to the state in 1963. Previous to the inn’s demise, travelers could detrain at Rooster Rock below and take a shuttle or walk the two miles up the hill via the old wagon road to enjoy a meal and the views at the inn.” To read more about the historical significance of the site read its entry on the Historical Marker database.
The Portland Women’s Forum website says of this history that “the founding members were responsible for recognizing that this viewpoint was special and should be saved from private development and shared with the gorge visitors forever. The ladies had tea, sales and raised the funds to buy this viewpoint and eventually gifted the property to the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department who now take care of this beautiful spot for all to enjoy.” Their site also includes historical pictures of Chanticleer Inn.
This site is not the Forum’s only focus in the area, as in “1950, after a Sunday drive up the Columbia River Highway, Gertrude Glutsch Jensen came to a Portland Women’s Forum meeting and told us that the loggers and mills were despoiling the ‘Great Gorge of the Mighty Columbia River.’ as she called it. She was heartsick over what she had seen. She felt that the State of Oregon or the federal government could help in exchanging timber land in the Gorge for timber elsewhere. The Portland Women’s Forum established the Columbia River Gorge as its [sic] principal and permanent project. We wrote letters and went to meetings with the Oregon State Legislature asking for their help. Gertrude was the powerhouse behind all this. She even went back to Washington DC at her own expense to get help from Congress.” The first effect of this was when “in 1953, the Oregon Legislature created a three member Columbia River Gorge Commission with Gertrude Glutsch Jensen as chairman. She served in this capacity for sixteen years. Thousands of acres of land were acquired by public agencies through donations to the state, and land exchanges by the Bureau of Land Management, Mt. Hood National Forest and Hood River County.” After this, the Forum was then able to acquire the land for Chanticleer Point.
The viewpoint is “open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.” and “Open for day use year round,” according to the State Parks website section on the overlook, which also includes a current weather indicator and a button for directions. From Reed, it is about a 30-minute drive, and only 17 minutes from Multnomah Falls, covered in the 5 April 2024 edition of the Quest, so they are good for a combined day trip. No hiking is required to see the viewpoint as there is parking directly next to it, however for anyone that is inclined OregonHikers.org has a section detailing a nearby hike. The website also includes pictures of the surroundings and a map to help orient prospective hikers. To see what the viewpoint’s height is compared to other peaks in the area and explore the region geographically, check out its entry on PeakVisor.com and PeakBagger.com. To learn more visit its section on the State Park website. So, go out and touch grass at Chanticleer Point!