Crown Point (Oregon)

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Columbia River Gorge and Crown Point, Oregon, from Portland Women's Forum Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point)

Crown Point is the name of a spectacular promontory on the Columbia River Gorge and an associated state park in Oregon. It is located in eastern Multnomah County, approximately 15 mi (24 km) east of Portland. Crown Point is the best known of the scenic lookouts along the Columbia River Highway, providing a panoramic view of the Columbia River.

The Crown Point Vista House was built in 1916. The building serves mostly as a public restroom. Its beautiful marble interior and brass fixtures led thrifty Oregonians of the time to deride it as "The $100,000 Outhouse". The refurbished building re-opened in 2005, with a completely remodeled interior showing the true form that it had when it was created. The information desk inside is fully staffed. There are stairs leading up to the top of Vista House that will provide an eager individual with breathtaking views of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington to the west.

Looking to the east down a long stretch of the Columbia River Gorge, Beacon Rock is visible in the background, along the Washington side of the gorge. A sign on the Oregon side opposite Beacon Rock states that it is the second largest "free standing" monolith in the world next to the Rock of Gibraltar. The veracity of that claim depends on how one defines the term "monolith".