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Mtnseeker Channel
|
 Multnomah
Creek tumbles over a series of waterfalls on its way to meet the Columbia. |
Best time to travel:
April - September
Best gateway city: Portland,
Oregon
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Hike the trails of the Columbia River Gorge, a spectacular
river canyon that slices through the Cascade Mountains creating a nearly
sea level passage through this volcanic range. The product of a series
of cataclysmic Ice Age floods, the eighty mile long canyon reaches
depths of up to four thousand feet, it's northern walls in Washington
State and its southern walls in Oregon. The most scenic sections of the
gorge have been protected in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic
Area. Here, trails lead up narrow stream gorges whose walls are
festooned with ferns and mosses. Countless waterfalls plunge over basalt
cliffs and dense, verdant forests of Douglas fir, western hemlock and
big-leaf maple blanket hillsides and valleys. From the peaks and ridges
that frame the gorge, you'll enjoy long-ranging views of snow-clad
volcanoes over grassy meadows ablaze with wildflowers while below you
the grand blue ribbon of the Columbia winds majestically to the sea.
Arrival Day
Arrive in Portland, Oregon. Overnight on your own.
Day 1
Overnight in the Columbia Gorge
Lunch and dinner included
Meet in Portland in the morning and travel east into the Columbia
Gorge via the historic
Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway. Built in the early twentieth
century the highway was not only an engineering marvel of its day but a
work of art that was designed to blend gracefully into the scenic
splendor of the Columbia Gorge. Set off on a hike to enjoy several of
the more than eighty waterfalls that lace the Oregon side of the gorge.
One of the options is an exciting one-way hike past thundering Wahkeena
Falls leads over a forested ridge to the slender, 620-foot ribbon of
Multnomah Falls. After the hike, continue to your overnight
accommodations in the heart of the Columbia Gorge. |
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A vantage point above the Columbia River. |
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Day 2
Overnight in the Columbia Gorge
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today’s loop hike to the summit of Dog Mountain on the
Washington side of the river provides a physical challenge but rewards
you with a broad expanse of flower-filled meadows and panoramic
views. If our timing is just right, the meadows will be cloaked with
yellow balsamroot flowers creating an alpine version of a sunflower
field!
Day 3
Overnight in the Columbia Gorge
Breakfast, lunch and
dinner included
Travel by vehicle heading east up the gorge. You'll experience the startling
transition from the lush greenery of the western Cascade forests to a dry,
sun-soaked landscape filled with Ponderosa pine
and scented by sagebrush. Hike among the stark basalt
formations of Catherine Creek to marvel at a natural rock arch formed by
“frozen” lava. In the afternoon, continue your exploration of the gorge
on trails that will lead you to wildflower displays and even more scenic
views. |
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Mount Hood as seen from Larch Mountain. |
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Day 4
Overnight in Hood River
Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
Today, set off on a one-way hike extending between the summit of Larch Mountain
and the waterfall-bedecked Oneonta Gorge, a tributary to the main
Columbia Gorge. A shorter option allows you to explore the waterfalls
and woodlands of lower Oneonta Gorge or Eagle Creek (where Italian
engineers blasted a trail out of the basalt cliff walls in the early
twentieth century.) At the end of the hikes, travel by vehicle to the
lively, riverside town of Hood River (a windsurfing mecca) where you'll
spend the next two evenings. |
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The Oneonta Trail to
Triple Falls, Columbia River Gorge. |
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Day 5
Overnight in Hood River
Breakfast and lunch included
Travel by vehicle up the orchard-filled Hood River valley toward the
ice-clad, horn-shaped silhouette of Mount Hood. Depending on the weather
(and snow conditions), enjoy either a hike to the top of Bald Butte
(where flowery meadows set the stage for one of the most beautiful views
of Mount Hood ) or Mirror Lake and "Tom, Dick and Harry" Mountain where
stunning views of Mount Hood, the highest peak in Oregon, await! Return
to Hood River for the evening. |
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The Columbia River slices through the Cascade Mountains. |
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Interested in a
Columbia Gorge hiking trip?
Please let us know: |
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