The View from Rooster Rock +1 more image

[AlanLichty]

Rooster Rock is the name of an Oregon State park right near the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge. Over the winter months I have found this to be an excellent launch point for images of Palisades Falls and Crown Point. I will be visiting this area again in the fall as it looks promising for leaves. I will be avoiding it like the plague during the summer as this is one of the closest parks to the Portland area and as can be seen below is just off the freeway. It also features a good sized boat ramp facility and parking for boat trailers just below where my drone is for this 2 panel panorama of the Gorge itself. The incredible expanse of parking lots speaks volumes about how many people can be in this place at once during the popular summer months so it would not be a good place to fly but weekdays in the off season are great.

2 panel panorama with the 24mm lens:

C&C always welcome.

 

[JimFox]

That's so cool Alan. It does look nice with the empty parking spaces.

Rooster Rock is a place I have meant to go to, but just haven't had the time when I am there.

 

[AlanLichty]

That's so cool Alan. It does look nice with the empty parking spaces.

Rooster Rock is a place I have meant to go to, but just haven't had the time when I am there.

Thanks Jim - They have parking for well over 300 cars and I doubt they built that many without a reason. I do like seeing the spaces empty but doubt there will be much incentive to visit again before fall. There are normally beaches all along this shoreline but the Columbia is running very high from snowmelt so you can't see them. It's a popular wind surfing launch point as well. This place will be packed around the Fourth of July.

I have been regularly driving past this place for over 25 years now and never stopped until this winter. It is a fee area but I have an annual day use pass for Oregon Parks.

 

[Jameel Hyder]

Nice aerial view for this area. I have passed this and never bothered to stop. But that was before I had a drone. This view is worth adding to my list.

I'd think the crowds won't be a problem very early in the day for sunrise or late in the evening for sunsets. Or am I underestimating the crowds?

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice aerial view for this area. I have passed this and never bothered to stop. But that was before I had a drone. This view is worth adding to my list.

I'd think the crowds won't be a problem very early in the day for sunrise or late in the evening for sunsets. Or am I underestimating the crowds?

Thanks Jameel - The good view is of Crown Point which is 90º to the right of this scene and during the winter months Palisades Falls coming down the cliffs from near the Vista House at Crown Point. I did shoot those views first and then turned around to get some general scenery shots. Like most of the Gorge on the Oregon side you really need a drone like the one you just got with 3 cameras. One 24mm lens can't really get at the Good Stuff(TM) and the 70mm on the 3 Pro series is the goto sweet spot for both here and the Benson Rec. Area farther up the Gorge near Wahkeena/Multnomah Falls.

Crown Point/Vista House and Palisades Falls. Not much left in the flow for these falls:

I have no clue what this place is like in mid summer for mornings and evenings as I only first put this on my map for views of Palisades Falls which I was shooting from across the Columbia late last fall. There is no overnight camping and park hours are listed as 7:00AM to 9:00PM which would be a problem right now for sunrises which are around 5:40AM. It might be interesting to pay a visit during summer months just to see how crowded it really gets. It is one of the closest boat ramps from the Portland metro area along the Columbia and has an extensive mooring area as well visible at the bottom of the Crown Point image above.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

I love the moody skies, Alan.

 

[AlanLichty]

I love the moody skies, Alan.

Thanks Doug - I am a serious fan of cloudy skies most days and especially when it comes to shooting in the gorge. On a clear winter day with a low sun angle the shot of Crown Point above is not possible since you would be shooting directly into the sun and the ground layers would be black.

 

[Beth]

i love that you can really see how much the waterfall has cut into the rock over the years in the second photo. great views!

 

[AlanLichty]

i love that you can really see how much the waterfall has cut into the rock over the years in the second photo. great views!

Thanks - during the winter months Palisades falls has a notable flow since this place gets a lot of rain. I do have some shots of those falls from directly behind the freeway with the Mavic 3 but only lower flows since I got the new one with 70mm. That lens is perfect for the viewpoints I am using.

 

[BlackRockArt]

Rooster Rock is the name of an Oregon State park right near the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge. Over the winter months I have found this to be an excellent launch point for images of Palisades Falls and Crown Point. I will be visiting this area again in the fall as it looks promising for leaves. I will be avoiding it like the plague during the summer as this is one of the closest parks to the Portland area and as can be seen below is just off the freeway. It also features a good sized boat ramp facility and parking for boat trailers just below where my drone is for this 2 panel panorama of the Gorge itself. The incredible expanse of parking lots speaks volumes about how many people can be in this place at once during the popular summer months so it would not be a good place to fly but weekdays in the off season are great.

2 panel panorama with the 24mm lens:

View attachment 61463

C&C always welcome.

Great arial view, well stitched from the drone.

Oliver

 

[AlanLichty]

Great arial view, well stitched from the drone.

Oliver

Thanks - I let Adobe do the stitch work from manually shot pano images. Makes it easy to get good results.

 

[Alisa]

Beautiful view!