Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint

After Vista House At Crown Point, we drove up a few minutes and stopped here. It is the same view of the mountain and river but just a different perspective. After being at Vista House At Crown Point, the bar was raised too high haha. Parking here is easier since it is not as popular and there is no gift shop. Still worth stopping by for 5min.

If you Google for «Columbia Gorge» images, I bet a ton of the photos on the first page will be of this view. The view of the Vista House at Crown Point from the Women’s Forum is amazing.
You have to get off of I-​84 and go up into the hills to get to the Viewpoint. I’d recommend going along the Historic Columbia River Highway and making a quick stop here, and then continuing onwards towards the other waterfalls and views.
The Viewpoint has a nice little parking lot. It can get very windy.

A View
On
A View
We usually think of Crown Point as the de facto vista point over the Columbia River Gorge and, in terms of notoriety, it probably is. Did you know that Crown Point and its interesting octagonal visitors’ center, as well as the roadways near it, are favorite spots for automakers to make commercials and take stills of new cars? Think back. This might resonate with you. That is, if you pay attention to that sort of stuff.
However, since you have to make the ascent up, and then wind down, to get to famed Crown Point from I-​84, you get a free bonus along the way — Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint. It is free. It is definitely scenic. And it is definitely one helluva viewpoint.
I’m not giving it 5 stars because there’s not much there, other than the view. Your stop here will be short. Parking, perpendicular to the roadway, is ample, even during the summer when it’s busy. San Francisco’s Twin Peaks it ain’t. There are no concessions and restrooms here, if I recall correctly. If you need to take a leak, or more than that, there’s Crown Point (3 miles — see photo). If you need to get souvenirs, snacks, or even a full meal, there’s Multnomah Falls (11 miles — see photo).
For a great view, to stretch one’s legs, or just to get a breath of fresh air and/​or get drizzled on, do stop at Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint while on your trek through the historic trail /​«Waterfall Alley» in the Columbia River Gorge just east of Portland.

My favorite spot to watch a sunset, look east at the Gorge anytime of the year.

Another great view of the Columbia River/​Gorge. You can see the Vista House from here. Parking is more limited here than Vista House. Check this out too!

I found that the most exciting view from this point was the view of the place that had a better view… You can snap a great picture of the Crown Point vista house to explain to your friends where all of your really good pictures came from, but that’s about it. The view directly toward the river is completely blocked.
I agree that there is ample parking, but that is primarily due to the lack of draw. I came here only because I was looking for a substitute upon learning that Crown Point is closed down for a few months… I don’t think I’d visit again even if leisurely driving by with nothing in particular to do and a full charge on my camera’s battery.

First vista stop on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Plenty of parking and not crowded. My colleague recommended stopping here vs the Vista House so we did. Great views of the Colombia River, but from afar. For close up views, go to Vista House.

What a gorgeous vista point!
This stop is just before the Vista House. Worth checking out!
It is higher than the vista house, though the view is obscured by some trees.
No bathrooms here, but there is a small trail that leads down. Lots of parking! Empty compared to the Vista House.

Located on the Historic Columbia River Highway, this is one of the first vista stops. I came across it on my way to Crown Point Vista House, and decided to make a stop since I was here anyway. Beautiful views of the Gorge, plus you can see both Vista House and Vista Inn from here.
Definitely worth a stop if you’re on the way to Vista House anyways!