USA Guide
The Pacific Northwest
The Columbia River Gorge
East of Portland along the I-84 freeway, the Columbia River Gorge is a striking geological setting with gusty winds, craggy rocks, and incredible views. Scoured into a wide U-shape by huge Ice Age– era floods, the gorge is a nationally protected scenic area where waterfalls tumble down sheer cliffs, and fir and maple trees turn fabulous shades of gold and red in the fall. Much more rugged in the nineteenth century before the arrival of modern dams, this was the ominous final leg of the Oregon Trail, where many pioneers met a dark end negotiating perilous rapids on flimsy wooden rafts.
The most dramatic part of the gorge is around the town of Hood River, where colourful windsurfers in the summer bound over the whitecapped waves, while rising to the south, the snowy peak of Mount Hood provides a romantic, mist-shrouded backdrop. The narrow, winding Historic Columbia River Highway (accessible at exits 22 or 35 off I-84) boasts several excellent vantage points, particularly at Crown Point, where the 1915 Vista House – perched high above the gorge about ten miles east of Troutdale – has restored to its original rustic grandeur (May-Oct daily 9am-6pm; free; www.vistahouse.com). Further east, some highway sections are closed to automotive traffic, but open to hikers and cyclists, while down on the Columbia River itself (I-84 exit 25) is Rooster Rock State Park ($3; 503/695-2261), popular with windsurfers but best known for offering one of the few nude, or clothing-optional, beaches in the region.
The most spectacular of the waterfalls in the vicinity is Multnomah Falls (daily dawn– dusk; free; 503/695-2372), the second-tallest year-round waterfall in the US, whose waters plunge 530ft down a rock face, collect in a pool, and then drop another seventy feet. As it is the state's most popular natural attraction, the crowds here can get quite thick. Further east, Bonneville Dam (daily 9am–5pm; free; 541/374-8820) is a huge New Deal project that generates regional electricity and offers a chamber where you can see salmon making their way upstream.
Website: www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia