Exhibits

In the summer of 1920, the U.S. Forest Service launched a three-month expedition to lay the groundwork for a scenic road between Crater Lake and the Columbia River Highway. Led by recreational planner Frederick Cleator, the “Skyline Party” traversed north along the high country of the Cascade Range, with Cleator taking 700 photographs documenting the terrain and scenery. While the scenic highway never came to be, a recreational trail known as the Oregon Skyline Trail opened to travelers in the summer of 1921. Highlighting the beauty of the Cascades, the Oregon Skyline Trail included dramatic peaks, glacial lakes, and alpine meadows, connecting Oregonians and tourists to the natural wonders of the state.

One hundred years later, geologist Jim O’Connor followed Cleator’s footsteps and recreated 75 of his Skyline Trail photographs — many taken on the same day as the original photographs. In this stunning exhibition featuring a selection of Cleator’s and O’Connor’s photographs, discover the changing landscape along this picturesque stretch and the ways climate change has altered the mountains, lakes, and terrain throughout the past century.

Exhibit on loan from the Oregon Historical Society through September 7, 2026.