The Mt. Hood Scenic Byway winds through the town of Sandy and along the river of the same name (first called Quicksand River by the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery).

During the 1840s, more than 50,000 hardy pioneers passed through here along the historic Barlow Road — the last leg of the Oregon Trail. With the ever-present, glorious peak of Mt. Hood dominating the land, low-key Sandy claims its own special appeal — its unique shops, music fairs and cuisine vie for attention right along with an abundance of snow, forest and river activities in the outdoors.