East of Portland, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge is home to waterfalls, sweet summer fruit and a volcano. With an easy drive on Interstate 84, you can spend a day exploring the Columbia River Gorge National Recreation Area. It runs from The Dalles on the east to Portland on the west and offers many side trips. Here are the top things to do in the Columbia River Gorge.
9 Top Things to Do in Columbia River Gorge
Explore the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Stop in The Dalles
Buy Hood River Fruit
Pick Lavender
See the Multnomah Falls
Stop Another Waterfall along the Columbia River Gorge
Watch the Sunset at Crown Point
Hike at Mt Hood
Tour Timberline Lodge
Is the Columbia River Gorge Worth Visiting?
The Columbia River Gorge protects over 80 miles of river along Interstate 84. Along the majestic river, find unbelievable waterfalls steps from the road. Don’t miss out on the fresh fruit from the Oregon orchards along the Fruit Loop.
Standing tall, Mount Hood is a beacon in northern Oregon. For national park lodge lovers, there is a stunning lodge and season-to-season skiing and boarding.
Oregon Road Trip Itinerary
Explore the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
The ice age 15,000 years ago created the Columbia River Gorge with its distinctive V-shape. With uncontrolled flooding and seasons of freeze-and-thaw, the Columbia River Gorge features a high concentration of waterfalls to the delight of waterfall chasers.
Native Americans used the Columbia River for transportation and trade, using hand-carved wooden canoes to navigate the untamed river. In 1805, Lewis and Clark’s Expedition explored along the Columbia on their way to the Pacific.
Finally, in 1957, the Army Corps of Engineers tamed the Columbia River Falls by building the Bonneville Dam and the Dalles Dam. 1986 Congress established the Columbia River Gorge as a national scenic area.
Driving along Interstate 84 is the easiest way to enjoy the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. I recommend exploring the towns along the route.
The National Parks of Oregon
Stop in The Dalles
Start in the town of The Dalles on the eastern edge of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Here, you’ll find the official interpretive center at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum. Walk through the museum to learn about the pioneers and Lewis and Clark.
During our visit, we learned about the Oregon Trail pioneers and the natural resources of the Columbia River. The Lewis and Clark Expedition and the Oregon canning industry get equal attention.
Located at 5000 Discovery Drive. Open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adult admission is $12, kids (6 to 17) are $7 and kids 5 and younger are free.
Since the Army Corps of Engineers tamed the wild Columbia River, visit The Dalles Lock and Dam. With a visitor center and a Junior Ranger activity booklet, my kids learned about the importance of dams, water safety and how fish use fish ladders.
Located at 3545 Bret Clodfelter Way. Free and open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily from Memorial Day until Labor Day. Tour the dam with scheduled tours on summer weekends.
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Buy Hood River Fruit
Just 22 miles west of The Dalles, Hood River offers extensive agritourism. It is home to wineries, orchards, farm stands and lavender fields.
The Fruit Loop starts in Hood River, a town along the Columbia River’s Interstate 84. With over 35 miles of country roads to meander, you can spend an afternoon sampling endless fruit stands.
If it’s cherry season, sample the local varieties. Many are too delicate to ship outside of Oregon. Hood River ships its red cherries to grocery stores all over the U.S.
Pick Lavender
I adore lavender, so stopping at Hood River Lavender Farms to pick my own lavender bouquets was mandatory. The gift shop offers lavender-infused products.
The farm also offers you-pick lavender from July until September. Just a heads up, this place is popular with honeybees.
Located at 3801 Straight Hill Road. Open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from June until September.
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See the Multnomah Falls
The Columbia River Gorge’s waterfalls offer spectacular hikes and envy-worthy photo opportunities. The most well-known waterfall, Multnomah Falls, is just the beginning. As a ribbon of water plummets 620 feet, it’s the second-highest year-round waterfall in the U.S. Best of all, visitors can hike up close to it.
The hike to the Benson Bridge is a .25-mile hike from the visitor center. It is an option for most visitors. If you want a longer hike, you can take the 1.2-mile one-way hike to the top of the falls. Don’t forget your water bottle.
The U.S. Forest Service Rangers hand out Columbia River Gorge Junior Ranger booklets for the kids and award niffy patches at the visitor center. I walked through Multnomah Falls Lodge, next to the falls. It has a regionally inspired-menu and a separate bar. Restrooms, a snack bar and a gift shop offer the necessities.
Located at Exit 31 on Interstate 84. This site requires a timed entry reservation from early May until Labor Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They cost $2. Parking is limited. There is no cost to enter besides an online timed entry reservation.
Other Waterfalls along the Columbia River Gorge
If you didn’t secure a timed entry reservation to Multnomah Falls, there are other waterfalls to see. Best of all, the other falls are quieter, with far fewer people.
Latourell Falls features a 249-foot plunge fall with moss growing all around. It is a short hike from the parking lot. There is a historic 1914 bridge at the site too.
Located along the Columbia River Scenic Highway (Hwy. 30) in Guy W. Talbot State Park. It is open from dusk to dawn.
Bridal Veil Falls also requires a short hike one mile west of exit 28 off Interstate 84. Visitors gaze at the tiered waterfall set in a mossy forest.
The Wah-kee-na Falls, .5 miles west of Multnomah Falls, translates into “the most beautiful” from the Yakama language. A 242-foot tiered waterfall awaits, and a nearby picnic area is also available.
Horsetail Falls is 2.5 miles east of Multnomah Falls. It features a 176-foot waterfall steps from the highway.
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Watch the Sunset at Crown Point
It might not be the Oregon coast, though I found a couple of spots to catch the sunset. The Vista House at Crown Point is perched 733 feet above the Columbia River.
It was built in 1918 as a memorial dedicated to the Oregon pioneers. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the setting sun casts an amber glow in its windows.
Located at 40700 Historic Columbia River Hwy, Corbett. It is open from Friday to Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, the parking lot is always open for sunset viewing.
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Take a Hike at Mt Hood
Mount Hood stands as a beacon along the Columbia River Gorge, rising from the evergreen landscape with glaciers and year-round skiing. It is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and is 11,249 feet tall.
An easy drive allows families to explore the area, a quick drive from the Columbia River Gorge. The Mt Hood National Forest encompasses over 1.1 million acres.
Located about t 50 miles east-southeast of Portland. A day-use pass is $5.
Tour Timberline Lodge
While on Mount Hood, walk through Timberline Lodge. The historic national park lodge is a must for lovers of the parkitecture. Timberline Lodge offers its guests rustic elegance with six sides and four stories.
It was constructed in 1937 and features a central fireplace, handmade furnishings and wood carvings throughout the lobby. For movie buffs, this was the setting for The Shining.
I found several hikes outside of the lodge. During my visit, I saw skiers up the mountain during the summer.
It is located at 27500 E Timberline Road, Government Camp.
Where’s the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Columbia River Gorge starts 30 miles east of Portland, Oregon, along Interstate 84. Portland offers the closest international airport.
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day. The National Park site is a fee-free area.
Interstate 84 runs the length of the scenic area, though I recommend exiting and driving the Columbia River Scenic Highway.
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park gives kids a further understanding of the 1805 expedition with numerous sites at the mouth of the Columbia River, 120 miles west.
Oregon Caves National Monument and Crater Lake National Park offer more national park sites to explore.
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Know Before You Go
- Grab your fresh fruit first before passing it to the back seat. Kids can vacuum pounds of fresh fruit in minutes.
- Lavender can give some people headaches in high concentrations, like the car ride home.
- If parking is unavailable at Multnomah Falls, visit Bridal Veil Falls and circle around.
- Look out for banana slugs near the waterfalls, slugs the size and color of a banana.
