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North Santiam Highway, Santiam Canyon, Oregon
Photo: Sheila Sund · CC BY 2.0 · cropped

Drives Oregon The Oregon Cascades

North Santiam Highway

OR 22, Santiam Boulevard · Mill City → Santiam Junction

Leisurely53 mi1 hr4,000 ft climbHigh point ≈ 3,800 ftOne way
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The drive

OR 22 climbs the North Santiam canyon from Mill City, along the shore of Detroit Lake to Detroit and Idanha, then through Marion Forks to Santiam Junction at US 20. It's 53.1 miles in about 1 hr.

Much of the canyon burned in 2020, but the river, the lake and the long curves remain. The drive is rated Leisurely.

Along the way

  1. Mill City
  2. Detroit
  3. Santiam Junction (US-20)
Elevation
4,000 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 3,800 ft
Mill CitySantiam Junction
Curves
Mostly gentle curves
Mill CitySantiam Junction
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Much of the canyon burned in 2020, so expect burned hillsides along the way.
  • The highway ends at Santiam Junction on US 20.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check ODOT TripCheck: road conditions.

Questions about this drive

How long does the North Santiam Highway take?

OR 22 from Mill City to Santiam Junction is 53.1 miles and takes about 1 hr.

Is Highway 22 twisty?

No. The drive is rated Leisurely.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of North Santiam Highway, from Mill City to Santiam Junction