Valuable Trip Information
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Distance: 66 miles
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Best Time: Anytime of the year
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Minimum Driving Time: 2-3 hours
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Medical Services/Hospitals: Sweet Home and Lebanon
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Rest Areas: Facilities are available at Shea Point on the edge of Foster Lake east of Sweet Home and at three additional rest areas along the route.
From the Beginning
Brownsville
For a view of the first leg of the journey beginning at I-5, go to Brownsville. Additional information about Brownsville is available at http://www.brownsvilleoregon.org
Crawfordsville and Holley
The Byway is dotted with country stores small communities along the route where a traveler can stop to quench thirst or pick up other provisions.
McKercher Park, a day-use area, is a wonderful place to stop.
Crawfordsville, home to one of Linn County's covered bridges is the next stop followed by Holley.
Into the Foothills
Sweet Home
Sweet Home is the last city with full commercial facilities before the traveler heads into the mountains.
Foster and Green Peter Lakes
Four miles east, Foster Lake is a popular recreation area.
Vegetation on the Mountains
Douglas fir, western hemlock and red cedar dominate the thick forests, but the big red leaf maples and red alder dot the landscape to provide contrast in texture and brilliant color in the fall. See Flora and Fauna for photographs.
Campgrounds
There are five Forest Service campgrounds between Cascadia and the end or the route at Route 126. They are Trout Creek, Yukwah, Fernview, House Rock and Lost Prarie. Use of the campgrounds is on a first come, first served basis. See Campgrounds for photographs. For more detail, click on the Sweet Home Ranger Campground Guide.
Ascending the Mountain
As the traveler begins the climb, the Byway leaves the river. Read and see more on Ascending the Mountain.
Santiam Wagon Road - Historic Route
A large portion of the Scenic Byway runs parallel to the historic Santiam Wagon Road, a major route for settlers. The road was built to transport people, animals and goods from the Willamette Valley to the pasture lands in the central part of the state and to the gold mines in Eastern Oregon and Idaho.
As the route chosen for “Hellgate to Portland”, the first transcontinental auto race in 1905, the Santiam Wagon Road will once again play the pivotal role in the re-enactment of the two car race in July 2005.
The Final Stretch Amidst the Old Growth
While traveling on “Over the Rivers – Through the Woods Scenic Byway” the visitor, from the viewing platforms, might see a herd of elk, that often congregates on the grounds of the Walton Ranch in the winter months. Further east, one can hike into the Menagerie Wilderness area, known for its rock spires. Finally, close to the end of the Byway, the Hackleman Old Growth Trail offers two easy hiking trails to the old growth stands of Douglas fir, western red cedar and mountain hemlock.
This beautiful byway ends at the Junction of Route 20 and Route 126, which ties into both the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass that runs south toward Eugene or the West Cascades National Scenic Byways that winds north through Detroit and ends at Estacada.
This newly designated byway is a 66-mile route that begins at Interstate 5 and traverses through the rich farmland of the Mid-Willamette Valley, winds along the rushing rivers and streams and climbs into the Cascades through thick lush forests to meet the West Cascades National Scenic Byway and McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass.
