The history of Zigzag Oregon is not the story of a town that failed to grow, although it never did. It is the story of a place that has always been defined by movement – by rivers, trails, roads, and the people who passed through them. Long before there was a town of Zigzag, settlers, businesses or the highway that travels past, this area was already an important place on the south side of Mount Hood.
Christmas Flood of 1964 Rhododendron Oregon – In late December 1964, as the Mountain was preparing for Christmas, the weather in the upper Sandy River valley began to shift quickly. A warm Chinook wind swept into the region, accompanied by days of heavy rain, melting a deep early-winter snowpack while frozen ground prevented the water from soaking in.
As you drive along the east end of Barlow Trail Road near the confluence of the Sandy and Zigzag Rivers, you may notice an old moss-covered rock wall. Weathered by time and nature, this beautifully crafted basalt and stone wall stands as a silent sentinel to the past. Yet, few—if any—know its origins.
