Historic Hood River
“Blue Bucket Lunch”
11-10-2025
Notes
Unfortunately this postcard from the Blue Bucket Lunch doesn’t tell us where it was on the Mt. Hood Loop Highway. Charlott mentioned it in a comment on this image of the Midway Inn, another lunch spot on the highway. Researching it I ran across this post about the Wistaria Farm Inn. This article in The Hood River Glacier might place the Blue Bucket near Pine Grove– or perhaps the campers were just residents of Pine Grove. This article suggests it might have been closer to Parkdale.
I wonder if the name “Blue Bucket” came from this popular legend from Oregon Trail days?
L. E.
There is a Blue Bucket Spring and Blue Bucket Trail in the Dog River area.
Arthur Babitz
a Facebook post placed Blue Bucket Lunch near the Forest Road 44 turnoff of Highway 35. If that is accurate, perhaps it was at the current site of the Little John Snow Park? That seems like a good spot for a lodge and cabins.