Your national forests and grasslands are 193 million acres of vast, scenic beauty waiting for you to discover. Visitors who choose to recreate on these public lands find more than 150,000 miles of trails, 10,000 developed recreation sites, 57,000 miles of streams, 122 alpine ski areas, 338,000 heritage sites, and specially designated sites that include 9,100 miles of byways, 22 recreation areas, 11 scenic areas, 439 wilderness areas, 122 wild and scenic rivers, nine monuments, and one preserve. And remember, “It’s All Yours.”
Displaying 1 - 25 of 42Multnomah Falls Lodge
The lodge restaurant, restrooms and gift shop are currently open to the public. The Visitor Center is closed for public safety at this time.
Built in 1925, the Lodge is on the National Register of Historic Places. Within its structure, it embodies every type of rock found in the Columbia River Gorge. Bring binoculars to get a better view of these iconic falls and enjoy the sound of rushing…
White Salmon Wild & Scenic River
From Gilmer Creek, near the town of B Z Corner, to Buck Creek, the Lower White Salmon is designated as Wild & Scenic. Along this stretch of the river, glacial headwaters are supplemented by seeps and springs along the canyon walls, sustaining a cold but consistent flow of water year round. The Lower White Salmon's rapids, waterfalls, and abrupt drops can challenge even the most…
Klickitat Wild & Scenic River
The lowermost 10.8 miles of the Klickitat River, from Wheeler Creek to the confluence with Columbia River, are designated as a Wild & Scenic River. This stretch of river begins as a broad canyon with rolling hills that drops at a steady gradient of 26 feet per mile before cascading into a Class V gorge around river mile 2 with an unrunnable entrance feature.
A significant…
Northwestern Park
This park was the site of a reservoir, before Condit Dam's removal from the White Salmon River in 2011. Today, it is a small park owned and managed by Pacific Power that provides a key take-out locations for boaters on the Lower White Salmon River Wild & Scenic River.
Catherine Creek Loop
This 1.9 mile loop, northeast of the Catherine Creek Trailhead, offers spectacular wildflower viewing during the spring and passes within sight of a natural arch. The vicinity surrounding the arch is closed to protect resources and is marked off by a fence. Please help keep it nice for the next generation, and do not enter the closed area.
At the moment, the trail on the ground is still in the process of being…
Upper Labyrinth (#4424)
Located just south of Atwood Road in Klickitat County, Upper Labyrinth Trail connects to Desert Parsley Trail to the east, leading to the Catherine Creek Area. To the west, it links up with Labyrinth Trail, providing spectacular views of the eastern Gorge.
Coyote Wall Recreation Area
A massive formation of columnar basalt, Coyote Wall is one of the Columbia River Gorge's most recognizable features from all directions. Known around the Gorge as "The Syncline", local amateur geologists enjoy debating its proper geological classification over a craft brew.
From Coyote Wall Trailhead, bikers, hikers, and riders can access a 30+ mile network trails with an open feel and…
Columbia River - Washington Shoreline Access
The Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area is home to one of the most spectacular stretches of the Columbia River, and within our boundaries lie a variety of state, county, and local parks that provide shoreline access from the Washington side. Be sure to check their website for applicable fees, current conditions, and restrictions:
Beacon Rock State Park. This freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River,…
Bridge Of The Gods Trailhead
Provides access to: Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000 which accesses Mark O Hatfield Wilderness to the south, and the state of Washington to the north across the Columbia River.
The trailhead is located at the Bridge of the Gods in Cascade…
Cape Horn Overlook
Cape Horn Overlook is accessed via Cape Horn Trail #4418. Follow Cape Horn Trail for a scenic 2 mile hike to Cape Horn Overlook. The site was developed in dedication to Nancy Russell, who saved this slice of heaven and its breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge.
You can complete the entire strenuous loop between July 16 to Jan 31.…
Catherine Creek Recreation Area
One of the premier areas for early spring wildflower viewing in the eastern Columbia River Gorge, Catherine Creek Recreation Area is popular each spring before it dries up by mid summer. The trailhead and parking north of Old Highway 8 are the access point to a network of multi-use biker/hiker/equestrian trails. The site was once a ranch before being acquired by the Forest Service to protect native plants, the…
HCRH (US 30) - Waterfall Corridor
By far the most popular segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway, the waterfall corridor runs from Troutdale to Ainsworth.
It can be extremely congested on weekends (think: bumper to bumper) so if you are hoping for a leisurely drive, plan ahead with Ready, Set, Gorge tips on avoiding congestion.
For more information…
Dog Creek Falls Observation Site
A small pulloff of Washington State Route 14 with a very short hike (0.1 mile) to a viewpoint of Dog Creek Falls. Take a swim in this cool creek or enjoy train-watching!
Herman Creek Trailhead
Herman Creek Trailhead is the access point for a number of trails including Herman Creek Trail #406 (elevation gain 3,835'), and Gorge Trail #400.
Herman Creek Trail provides loop opportunities with…
Dog Mountain
Dog Mountain Day Use Area and Trailhead is the access point for two of the most scenic trails in the Gorge, Dog Mountain Trail #147 and Augspurger Trail #4407. These two trails form a popular loop hike, if you connect via the 1.5 mile …
Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness: Columbia Gorge
Please view the special regulations associated with Wilderness areas and always use Leave No Trace techniques to help keep these areas wild, clean, and pristine.
Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness covers 65,822 acres of basalt cliffs, waterfalls, and lush coniferous forests between Mt. Hood’s northern slope and the sheer cliffs south of the…
Eagle Creek Campground
Spend a night outdoors in the Forest Service's first developed campground, which originally opened in 1916 at the dawn of America's love affair with car camping! Located in the central Columbia River Gorge, the campground is great for a weekend of hiking, boating, fishing, and other adventures in one of the most scenic places…
HCRH (US 30) - Mosier to The Dalles
Full of outstanding panoramas, this section of the Historic Columbia River Highway (HCRH) is a delightful drive. The world-famous loops that descend from the Rowena plateau to The Dalles is even a joy to drive on weekends, as its distance from Portland has kept it one of the Gorge's less-discovered secrets. Situated on the east end of the Cascades Range, it looks over a grassland ecosystem and is often…
Eagle Creek Overlook Group Campground
This historic site was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's as a place to view construction of the Bonneville Dam. Great for family gatherings and other group events.
Set on a bluff with sweeping views of the Columbia River and the Washington side of the Gorge, this is site is great for family gathering and group events. The group site includes a covered picnic shelter, picnic tables,…
Columbia River - Oregon Shoreline Access
The Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area is home to one of the most spectacular stretches of the Columbia River. These state, county, and local parks provide shoreline access from the Oregon side. Be sure to check the relevant website for applicable fees, current conditions, and restrictions:
Cascade Locks - Blackberry Beach. This Port of Cascade Locks site is popular with windsurfers and…
Eagle Creek Day Use Area
This historic site is a great accessible spot for a picnic alongside the mouth of the stunning Eagle Creek slot canyon. Today's picnic area was once the site of the first developed campground in the U.S. Forest Service, with facilities that were later rebuilt during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps structures. On site remains the famous historic restroom (currently closed) nicknamed…
Historic Columbia River Highway
Constructed between 1913 and 1922, the original Columbia River Highway was designed to bring travelers to the most breathtaking sights and scenes in the Gorge. From the amazing loops at Rowena plateau to Multnomah Falls, its iconic and innovative design included rock walls, bridges earned it the nicknames "King of Roads" and "A Poem in Stone." It was a new type of motorway bringing…
Eagle Creek Trailhead & Trail (#440)
This spectacular cliffside hike passes through a forested basalt cliff overlooking Eagle Creek. It affords spectacular views of the creek's slot canyon, where a cool, ethereal fog offers a reprieve on a hot summer day. Small waterfalls trickle along the sides of the cliff, and the trail passes many larger waterfalls, including the iconic Punch Bowl Falls, which is accessed from a side trail…
HCRH (US 30) - Hood River
This remaining section of the Historic Columbia River Highway (HCRH) can be explored from I-84 exits 62 and 64. It heads past historic hotels and quaint shops and restaurants of downtown Hood River, leading east of town to the Mark O. Hatfield East visitor's center. There, the car-free Twin Tunnels segment of the HCRH State Trail allows bikers and pedestrians to continue to Mosier. …
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
Located just west of The Dalles, OR, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center is the official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This 26,100 square foot exhibit wing holds interpretive displays which describe the tremendous volcanic upheavals and raging floods that created the Gorge, explanations of why ice ages occur, how the…