PORTLAND, Ore. — All public land is closed within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area due to the coronavirus outbreak, but that hasn’t stopped crowds from showing up, with some people going so far as to trespass onto parks and trails.
The Oregon Department of Transportation announced Tuesday that it will shut down seven additional miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway, which leads to many of the area’s most popular hikes and waterfalls, following an influx of unruly crowds.
The highway will now be closed from Larch Mountain to Angels Rest from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The department previously closed the scenic highway from Angels Rest to Ainsworth.
Existing closures haven’t stopped some 200 cars an hour from showing up, according to transportation officials. Many visitors have also violated barricades, thrown signs off the road and trespassed into closed parks and trails.
Officials trying to maintain the widespread closure report contacting visitors about once every four minutes.
Following an earlier decision by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, the U.S. Forest Service closed all public land in the Columbia Gorge on March 26, supporting Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s executive order banning all nonessential travel, issued March 23.
Since then, local, state and federal officials have been urging the public to “do the right thing” and stay home during the coronavirus outbreak. The new highway closure extends that message.
“Given what’s been happening in this corridor despite the governor’s executive order, this day-time closure has become necessary to protect forest service, sheriff’s office and state parks staffs and for protecting the public,” Rian Windsheimer, a regional manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said in a news release. “Please follow the governor’s guidance and stay home, save lives.”
The new road closures will be staffed by state park rangers. Roads will be kept open for local residents and emergency services.
--Jamie Hale; jhale@oregonian.com; 503-294-4077; @HaleJamesB
This article was originally published by The Oregonian/OregonLive, one of more than a dozen news organizations throughout the state sharing their coverage of the novel coronavirus outbreak to help inform Oregonians about this evolving health issue.