Lang Forest State Park Wayside

"1932-1969 - Established - Lang State Park established by purchase and condemnation of private property. It was named for the original owner, Elizabeth Lang."

The 1926 USGS map (above) shows a couple of structures in the vicinity of the State Park, one just off the south side of the highway, and one north of the train tracks.

1946 State Parks Report: Lang State Park

This forest wayside park is situated at Mile Post 50, a few miles east of the Cascade Locks. It is described as being in Section 33, Township 3 North of Range 8 East, Hood River County, originally containing 72.32 acres, of which 3.69 acres were deeded to the United States when flooded by Bonneville Dam, and 0.85 acres were deeded to the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company for grade protection. The present net acreage is 67.78 acres. The deed date is February 1, 1932.

The tract is a sheltering, forest wayside lying on both sides of the highway. The old Dalles-Sandy-Military Road, which crosses the south side of the property, was reported open for pack trains and for driving loos stock from The Dalles to a point one mile below the lower Cascades, early in 1863.

During the Third Period, April to October 1934, members of the Camp Wygant CCC Camp encircled the most vulnerable portion of the tract with a fire break and cleaned up the roadside fire hazard. There are no other improvements and no park facilities of any kind.

W. A. Langille

State Parks Historian

December 5, 1945

Recommendations:

This should remain as a timbered wayside. Fire protection should be provided.

S. H. Boardman

State Parks Superintendent

March 25, 1946

Chester H. Armstrong, HISTORY OF THE OREGON STATE PARKS: 1917-1963

Lang State Park consists of five separate areas along Interstate Highway 80N, approximately 13.4, 13.8, 16.7, 17.7 and 18.1 miles west of Hood River in Hood River County.

These five tracts vary in size from as little as 1.14 acres to as much as 67.78 acres, with a total of 161.67 acres in the park. All of the land was excess right of way obtained before building the road.

Most of the land is not suitable for park development. Retaining it in public ownership does preserve the lush growth of green trees and shrubs in the Columbia River Canyon which has long been the expressed desire of the Columbia River Gorge Commission.

The terrain is generally steep, sloping upward south of the highway. The timber cover is fir, maple, alder and other indigenous trees and plants.

No active use is made of the area.

Past and Present Views Along the Columbia River Highway

Jamen Lee, February 3, 2020:

I’ve never explored down there! The state park boundary has some weird cut-outs in the middle of it though that could be a clue to what was there. Prob railroad related. Also, check out how much of the Lang Forest property went underwater after Bonneville Dam was in place.

March 14, 2020

Looking at the mileage in the Langille / Boardman 1946 report, this would have been the unit being discussed there. Another unit is at Wyeth.

As for the wagon road crossing the south side of the property, it looks like it was a bit further south of the actual park boundary, unless the Wyeth Road is only near the route, not the actual route. Perhaps, a little more research is needed?

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