Parkdale, OR

Parkdale sits in the Upper Hood River Valley two miles southwest of Mount Hood and about sixteen miles south of Hood River. David Eccles and R. J. McIsaac founded the community in 1910 as the southern terminus of the Mount Hood Railroad. The rail line connected the valley’s orchards and timber country to Hood River and the Columbia corridor. Oregon Route 281 now carries the main road traffic, while Mount Hood rises behind the orchard landscape. The 2020 census counted 299 residents.

Fruit remains part of Parkdale’s working geography, with produce moving through a valley known for apples, pears, and mountain views more than for a dense town center. The Hutson Museum occupies a National Historic Site at the old rail terminus and grew from a local family’s rock collection and storytelling. Hood River County is also working through an unincorporated community plan for Parkdale, giving residents a formal way to discuss land use and growth. Parkdale keeps its railroad ending, orchard fields, and Mount Hood outlook in one small Oregon community.