Willamette Pass is a classic road trip in Oregon

Willamette Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.563m (5,128ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary of Klamath and Lane counties, in the US state of Oregon.

Set high in the Cascade Range, within the Willamette National Forest, the road to the summit is totally paved. It’s called Oregon Route 58 (OR 58), also known as the Willamette Highway No. 18. The pass is 138km (86 miles) long, running from Goshen to the north of Chemult. This road offers lush forest, sparkling lakes, beautiful wildlife, and plenty of places to hike, fish, camp, swim, or just stop and relax. The road opened in July 1940.

Open to traffic throughout the year, the road may be closed for short periods in winter when the weather is bad. The pass is also known as Pengra Pass and Willamette Summit. The pass has been an important transportation route between the Willamette Valley and central Oregon for over 150 years. Backcountry winter recreation opportunities in the Willamette Pass area include a fully developed system of backcountry trails and shelters, a warming hut staffed by volunteers on the weekends at Gold Lake Snopark, and a family-friendly tubing hill at Salt Creek Snopark.