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About U.S. Highway 26
U.S. Highway 26 begins at Ogallala, Nebraska and passes through Wyoming and Idaho and Oregon 1,485 miles to reach the Pacific Coast near Seaside. Its route is often intertwined with U.S. Highway 20, sharing the same alignment in many places.
In 1926, when it was first designated as a highway, it only ran from Ogallala into Wyoming. It was extended multiple times until it reached Astoria, Oregon with a length of 1,557 miles. It was later truncated back to its current terminus near Seaside. In the area on both sides of the Oregon-Idaho border it follows the route of the Oregon Trail.
What to See along Highway 26
Here are the main segments of Highway 26 which have been photographed so far: In Oregon, one begins at Nyssa, Oregon and continues west to Unity, a distance of about 80 miles. In Idaho, one goes east from Bliss, past Shoshone and ends in Craters of the Moon Monument, for about 95 miles. Another starts at Arco, not much further east and continues to Moreland, for about 52 miles. A few beautiful miles of the Snake River Gorge in Wyoming have been photographed. Another short segment passes through Grand Teton National Park
The Grand Tetons
The remarkable peaks of the Grand Tetons prompted the creation of this park just a short distance south of Yellowstone in 1929. The pointed, granite peaks reach thousands of feet above the valley below. At their base, numerous lakes formed by glaciation are nestled among evergreen forests.
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Highway 26 passes through the volcanic plains of the Snake River Basin where are found some of the largest lava flows in America. Craters of the Moon National Monument was created to showcase some of the most dramatic parts of these lava flows. The jagged lava formations look so fresh that the discoverers figured they could be no more than 100 years old. (Modern dating techniques have placed them further back). Lava tube caves and volcanic craters are among the meany features that can be visited.
For More Information
See the Wikipedia U.S. Highway 26 article. Discover Ogallala Vacations on Uptake.com.