Crown Point (Oregon)

Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Crown Point in the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, taken from Chanticleer Point
Map showing the location of Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Map showing the location of Crown Point State Scenic Corridor
Map of Oregon
LocationMultnomah County, Oregon
Nearest cityPortland
Coordinates45°32′22″N 122°14′39″W / 45.5395°N 122.24422°W / 45.5395; -122.24422
Area306 acres (124 ha)
Established1938
www.oregonstateparks.org/index.cfm?do=parkPage.dsp_parkPage&parkId=108
Designated1971

Crown Point (also known historically as Thor's Heights or Thor's Crown)[1][2] is a basalt promontory on the Columbia River Gorge and an associated state park in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in eastern Multnomah County, approximately 15 miles (24 km) east of Portland. Crown Point is one of the scenic lookouts along the Historic Columbia River Highway, providing a panoramic view of part of the Columbia River. It stands 733 feet (223 m) above the river and is the remains of a lava flow that filled the ancestral channel of the Columbia River 14 to 17 million years ago.[3][4] The Point was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971.[5]

  1. ^ Vista House at Crown Point [brochure], 2005.
  2. ^ Vista House, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, 2006, p. 2.
  3. ^ Alt, David D.; Hyndman, Donald W. (1978). Roadside Geology of Oregon. Missoula, Montana: Mountain Press Publishing Company. p. 179. ISBN 0-87842-063-0.
  4. ^ "Science writer Richard Hill gives a brief geologic history of the Columbia River Gorge". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on August 4, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  5. ^ "Crown Point". nps.gov. National Park Service. Archived from the original on March 8, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2013.