Larch Mountain is an extinct volcano near Portland, Oregon. The name is misleading, as no western larch (a large coniferous tree) can be found there. It received that name when early lumbermen sold the noble fir wood as larch. The peak can be reached between May and November on paved Larch Mountain Road, east of Corbett, Oregon, although the road is closed during the winter and spring months. The road leading to Larch Mountain from the Historic Columbia River Highway is 14 miles long, which closed at milepost 10 from Nov. through late May or early June due to snow. Geography Larch Mountain is located in Multnomah County, Oregon approximately east of Portland, above the Columbia River Gorge. Although it has an elevation of , its prominence above the surrounding terrain is only . The summit of the mountain is accessible by Larch Mountain Road between May and November, which branches off from the Historic Columbia River Highway east of Corbett. Due to the risk of driving on the mountain's upper slopes in winter weather, the road closes during the winter months at milepost 10. History In 1879, Amos James Moore was the first known person to advocate for the logging and settling of Larch Mountain. Attractive due to its proximity to Portland and the Columbia River, it contained what were considered some of the highest-quality cedar, hemlock, and fir trees in the United States. In 1886, the Bridal Veil Lumbering Company started logging and constructed a lumber mill, followed a year later by the Latourrel Falls Wagon Road and Lumber Company. The operation rapidly expanded with the construction of a wooden plank road extending from Larch Mountain to the railroad line near the river, allowing for the large-scale logging of the mountain. The Bridal Veil Lumbering company became known for the high quality of its timber. In 1902, a fire swept through one of the mills, completely destroying it as well as the town. Both were soon rebuilt in new locations. This event is often heralded as the start of the decline of the large-scale Victorian logging practices, which were replaced by more modern techniques. Only a few remnants of the former system exist today. Logging continued in the new forms on the mountain for several more decades. In 1928, the United States Forest Service began reforesting the slopes of Larch Mountain, so that more lumber could be produced.