Samuel K. Barlow – Today, thousands of travelers cross the Cascade Range each year on Highway 26. Many continue over the mountain without realizing they are following a route that has guided people through the Mount Hood country for centuries. Long before modern highways existed, Native peoples traveled these valleys on well-established trails connecting villages, fishing grounds, hunting areas, and seasonal camps.
Brightwood did not begin as a town. It developed as a stopping place along the Barlow Road—a location shaped by geography, travel, and the practical needs of those moving through the Mount Hood country.
Today, a trip from Portland to Government Camp takes about an hour. The road is paved, the grades are manageable, and the drive is routine. In 1903, it was anything but. The first car to Government Camp had a challenging trip.
The American Swiss Model Garden near Brightwood, Oregon, was once one of the more unusual roadside attractions along the Mount Hood Highway. Built in the early 1950s, it offered visitors a miniature alpine village set in the woods—complete with trains, gardens, and carefully arranged landscapes.
a trip to Mount Hood was a full-day expedition. The road, built upon the bones of the old Barlow Trail, was steep, narrow, and often rutted beyond recognition. Depending on the season, it was either ankle-deep in dust or swallowed in mud.
