Oregon Route 218 (OR 218) is an

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...

that runs between the small towns of Shaniko and

Fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

in north-central Oregon and is known as the Shaniko-Fossil Highway No. 291 (see

Oregon highways and routes The state highway system of the U.S. state of Oregon is a network of highways that are owned and maintained by the Highway Division of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). Highways and routes The state highway system consists of a ...

). OR 218 is a part of the Journey Through Time Scenic Byway, an Oregon state byway.

Route description

OR 218 is a fairly short rural highway. Its western terminus is in

Wasco County Wasco County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,213. Its county seat is The Dalles. The county is named for a local tribe of Native Americans, the Wasco, a Chinook tribe ...

, in the ghost town of Shaniko at U.S. Route 97. The road is very windy and hilly over its entire length and is a popular destination for motorcyclists. It runs through the small town of

Antelope The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do ...

(population 50) and has a junction with OR 293 on the south end of town. More mountainous terrain follows, and the highway crosses the

John Day River The John Day River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It is known as the Mah-Hah River by the Cayuse people. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the fourth longest ...

into

Wheeler County Wheeler County is the name of several counties in the United States: * Wheeler County, Georgia * Wheeler County, Nebraska * Wheeler County, Oregon Wheeler County is a county in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the populatio ...

at Clarno. Just east of Clarno is the Clarno Unit of the

John Day Fossil Beds National Monument John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. national monument in Wheeler and Grant counties in east-central Oregon. Located within the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserve ...

. Between Clarno and Fossil (the largest town on the route, with a population of about 475), the road has several sharp curves, with a posted speed limit of in several places. The eastern terminus is in Fossil at the junction of Washington Street and Seventh Street ( OR 19).

Major junctions

References

External links

Bridgehunter.com - Clarno Bridge (1908–1975)Bridgehunder.com - Clarno Bridge (1975–)Motorcycle Roads NorthWest - Oregon State Route 218 'Shaniko-Fossil Highway'
{{Commons category, position=right

218 Year 218 ( CCXVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Adventus (or, less frequently, year 971 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 218 for th ...

Transportation in Wasco County, Oregon Transportation in Wheeler County, Oregon John Day Fossil Beds National Monument