Located off Washington SR 14, the historic Maryhill Loops Road was the first macadam asphalt-paved road in the Pacific Northwest. Prior to the construction of US 97, it served as the only road between the Columbia River and Goldendale, Washington. Historically, it was part of a larger road that encompassed several miles over which seven different experimental roads were constructed. It rises 850 feet in a series of 25 curves, eight of them hairpin turns, at a grade of 5%. In 1998, a 3.6 mile section of the road was completely refurbished and received the Outstanding Project of Historical Significance Award from the American Public Works Association, Washington State Chapter. Maryhill Museum of Art founder Sam Hill was one of the Northwest’s first and most vocal advocates for modern roads. He was president of the Washington State Good Roads Association and spent much of his life championing the importance of highways in the Northwest. In 1913 Sam Hill convinced the Oregon governor and legislature to visit Maryhill and see the 10 miles of demonstration roads he had constructed over the prior four years, at his own expense, as a way to experiment with road building techniques and surfaces.