Great Day Ideas for exploring Columbia River Gorge
(Go to individual sites
to check winter hours.)
Begin your Columbia River Gorge
odyssey at
Quinn Mountain
.
1.
Take WA Hwy I4 to Stevenson for a stop at the
Columbia
Gorge Interpretive Center.
ADMISSION FEE.
 2.
Go back west on Hwy 14 for 2 miles to Bridge of
the Gods. Cross the bridge; go west on Oregon Hwy 84 to the impressive
Bonneville
Dam.
Visit the fish ladder to see salmon making
their way upstream from the glass enclosed, underwater visitor center
that also houses museum exhibits. Feed huge trout in outdoor garden
ponds and view massive sturgeon through glass windows. FREE SITE.
Check winter hours.
3. You can back track even further west
through lush forests for stops at Crown Point’s
Vista House built in
1918. This unique structure is a visitor center that commemorates the
construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway inside and offers
a panoramic view of the Gorge. FREE SITE. Check winter hours.
4.
Take time to visit one of the
Columbia’s famous waterfalls for hikes of varying length, including
Bridal Veil Falls
FREE SITE (the buildings of old town by the same name can be seen from
Quinn Mountain
) and
the Oneonta Gorge. There are also Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls, and
Multnomah Falls, which is a breathtaking 2-level waterfall, viewed
from below, above (a 2-mile hike), or from a bridge in the middle. It
drops 620 feet to the historic Multnomah Lodge, and is Oregon's most
popular natural attraction. FREE SITES
5. Head back east on Hwy 84 to
Cascade Locks,
FREE SITE a town named for the locks that were built in
the late 1800s to navigate boats past what were once dangerous rapids.
Marine Park, a National Historic Site, includes the old canal and
three lock-tender houses. While in Cascade Locks, you can take a
two-hour narrated sternwheeler cruise on the Columbia aboard the
Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge.
ADMISSION FEE - Check special Holiday cruises/dinners.
 6. Just before Hood
River, stop for lunch at the
historic Columbia Gorge Hotel on the shores of the
Columbia River.
FREE to tour grounds.
 7. Or lunch in Hood
River at
the Hood
River Inn. Its
Riverside Grill
offers a relaxing view of the Columbia
River.
 8. While in Hood River, shop for art in
town or visit the Carousel Museum. Explore Hood River's Saturday
Market, open mid-May through mid-October for fresh local faire, music,
crafts, and art. Hood River also has delightful wineries, including,
the Hood River Vineyards at 4693 Westwood Drive and Flerchinger
Vineyards at 4180 Post Canyon Road. ADMISSION FEE
 9. In spring and summer, Hood River is
the "Windsurfing Capital of the World." When strong winds turn the
river into a wild, wet roller coaster, every "boardhead" for miles
around can be found on the Columbia, skimming back and forth across
the watery Oregon/Washington border. Here's your chance to see the
inspiration for the new "Greetings From Oregon" postage stamp!
FREE SITES
 10. In spring, plan a 1/2 day to meander
up Hwy 35 through the Fruit Loop, marveling at the many orchards in
bloom, coating green hillsides with white blossoms. It is a scenic
45-mile drive through acres of winter pear & apple orchards, farms,
and wineries all within view of the glistening peak of Mt. Hood.
FREE SITES
 11. You can climb aboard the
Mt. Hood
Railroad for a leisurely train ride through the gorgeous Hood River
Valley and enjoy an hour's layover in picturesque Parkdale -- up close
and personal with everyone's favorite mountain - Mt. Hood.
ADMISSION FEE
 12. You can cross back over to Washington
via the Hood River Bridge and take the short drive north of Hwy 14 to
picturesque White Salmon. There is a glass blowing studio and a wooden
boat works. FREE SITE
 13. just west of White Salmon on Hwy
14 is Bingen, WA where you can visit the
Gorge Heritage Museum.
FREE SITE
 14. Or you can travel past Hood River on
the old scenic highway to the
Gov.Tom McCall Preserve, where you can
enjoy a breathtaking view of the Gorge. In the spring, wildflowers
bloom on a bluff high above the river. Take time to stroll through its
endless meadows. FREE SITE
 15. Another option for lunch is to continue on to The Dalles for the
culinary experience of yak burgers at
Cousins’ Restaurant.
 16. While in The
Dalles, visit the spectacular Columbia
Gorge Discovery Center/ Wasco County Historical Museum
ADMISSION FEE before crossing over to
Washington side of the river on the The Dalles Bridge on your return to
Quinn Mountain .
|
Take a back country drive through the
Gifford Pinchot Forest north of
Quinn Mountain
and you might be lucky enough to pass by while Mt. St. Helens is
enjoying an eruption. Bud and Christina are seen here with a steam
plume rising from the magnificent volcano in the distance.