Things to do nearColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

The Columbia River Gorge was sculpted roughly 15,000 years ago during the Missoula Floods, a series of catastrophic glacial lake outbursts that carved the basalt plateau into the dramatic canyon visible today. Stretching about 80 miles along the Columbia River on the border of Oregon and Washington, the gorge became the first National Scenic Area in the United States in 1986, a designation that balances recreation with protection of its exceptional landscape. Visitors encounter an unusually compressed range of ecosystems, from the wet, fern-draped forests of the western gorge to the open oak woodlands and sage-scented grasslands near Hood River and The Dalles.

Multnomah Falls, one of the tallest year-round waterfalls in the country, draws a large share of attention, but the surrounding area holds dozens of additional cascades, many reached by well-maintained trails that thread through old-growth Douglas fir and maple. The Historic Columbia River Highway, a National Historic Landmark completed in 1922, was an early feat of scenic road engineering and still offers some of the most satisfying driving in the Pacific Northwest.

Hood River, near the eastern end of the gorge, is a hub for windsurfing and kiteboarding thanks to the reliable thermal winds that funnel through the canyon, and the town's restaurants and fruit-stand culture reflect the agricultural richness of the surrounding valley. Whether you come for the geology, the trails, or simply the view from a basalt promontory at dusk, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area offers a depth and variety of experience that makes it one of the most compelling natural destinations in the American West.