Highway 26 Rest Area Relocation Brings Changes for Government Camp

Relocation plans for the Mount Hood Rest Area are moving forward, bringing a significant change to Government Camp. When the existing facility moves southeast along Highway 26, the town will lose its only public restrooms – prompting Clackamas County to move ahead with a  replacement near the Mount Hood Cultural Center and Museum.

Teresa Christopherson, administrator for Clackamas County’s Social Services Division, said the county has identified a final site for the local facility and is now working through land use and environmental review. “This is such a community-based project,” she said. “The community has had enormous input and has been actively guiding the process. It’s important to provide an amenity that’s needed not just for visitors to Government Camp, but also for the people who live here.”

“The community has been involved in draft designs,” said museum director David Winterling. “It’s intended to provide a convenient, accessible facility for visitors and locals while the larger highway rest area is in planning and development.”

The current Government Camp rest area is no longer adequate for modern travel needs. Limited parking, especially for trucks, a small historic building, and outdated utilities make it difficult to safely serve skiers, hikers, long-distance travelers, and commercial vehicles alike. The facility has been a staple of the community for decades, but officials say it no longer meets today’s standards for highway safety or traveler services.

Expanding the existing site isn’t feasible. As Phase I wraps up and Phase II commences, agencies have narrowed potential locations to two main zones and a possible third: the Skyline area near Skyline Sno-Park, a site at the Highway 216 junction known as Warm Springs Junction, and a potential partnership option on Warm Springs tribal land. Each option presents a mix of benefits and challenges in terms of accessibility, safety, and cost.

“We’ve narrowed it to two possible zones on Mount Hood National Forest,” said Doug Decker, project manager with Oregon Solutions. “There’s more homework to do – particularly with Warm Springs – but we’re getting closer to a decision point. The goal is to find a location that balances safety, convenience, and long-term viability.”

Within each zone, planners are evaluating roughly 25 criteria, including highway safety, visibility, slope, wetlands, cultural resources, and environmental impacts. Both forest locations are considered geographically suitable, but infrastructure – particularly electrical service – is expected to heavily influence the final decision.

“Power is quickly becoming the number one driver of cost,” said Mac Lynde, executive director of the Oregon Travel Information Council (TIC), which operates most state rest areas. “Running power long distances could be a $10 million to $20 million factor. It’s a significant consideration for both planning and long-term operations.”

The project is intended to address a long-standing gap along the roughly 80-mile stretch between Sandy and Bend, where safe stopping options are limited. Drivers have long struggled to find safe pullouts for rest, restroom breaks, or a quick pause to respond to winter weather and mountain driving conditions.

“There really aren’t many places to stop in that corridor,” Lynde said. “Providing a proper facility improves safety and reduces environmental impacts from people pulling off the roadway, whether it’s on shoulders, in scenic pullouts, or at informal stops.”

Unlike large interstate rest areas, the future Highway 26 facility is expected to occupy about three to three-and-a-half acres and serve traffic in one direction. Plans call for safer pull-through parking for trucks and passenger vehicles, dedicated space for travelers to rest, and a layout designed to minimize conflicts with recreation users, including snow sports enthusiasts and hikers.

“It’s called a safety rest area for a reason,” Lynde said. “It’s a safe place to pull over, rest, take a mental break, or respond to weather, fatigue, kids, or pets – all the things that come with traveling in a mountain corridor. It’s not just a convenience; it’s about safety.”

Bringing power to a new site could also create opportunities to improve cellular coverage in areas where service gaps have long concerned emergency responders. “It’s not just about bathrooms,” Lynde said. “We need to make sure travelers – and our staff – have access to power and communication in case of emergencies. That’s an increasingly critical aspect of a modern rest area.”

Phase II planning is supported by a $750,000 Federal Lands Access Program grant and is expected to take 12 to 18 months. Once a preferred site and concept design are completed, partners will seek additional federal and state funding for final design and construction.

“These projects take time, and funding is always part of the challenge,” Lynde said. “But we’re excited about the progress and the opportunity to create something that better serves both travelers and the community. The vision is for a 21st-century facility that combines safety, accessibility, and community support.”

Jeff Kohnstamm, general manager of Timberline Lodge, said the process has been deliberate but productive. “It’s moving at a glacial pace, but it is moving. There are good people involved and everyone is pulling in the same direction. In the next couple of years, something needs to happen. We support the effort because the current site simply doesn’t work.”

“This isn’t just a rest area,” Lynde said. “It’s a safety measure, a community resource, and a service to the traveling public. And after decades of limited facilities in this stretch, it’s about time we had one that meets the needs of the 21st-century traveler.”