Overview

Spend the day learning what makes the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area one of the most special places on earth. From the beauty of the second tallest waterfall in the United States to seeing salmon and other amazing fish at the Bonneville Dam Complex, spending time in the windsurfing capital of the United States, and exploring the official museum of The Gorge, at the end of the day you will have a deeper appreciation and understanding of this spectacular area. You will experience this tour with up to 11 other people.

Description

Stop At: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

As we are driving from Portland to all of the locations today we will be driving through the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bonneville Fish Hatchery, 70543 NE Herman Loop, Cascade Locks, OR 97014, USA

Bonneville Hatchery is Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s largest hatchery facility and has a diverse fish production program. It is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of Tule fall Chinook, and adult collection and spawning of coho salmon. It is also used for rearing of, summer steelhead, winter steelhead and coho (coho egg incubation occurs at Cascade Hatchery). The hatchery has excellent egg and fingerling quarantine facilities that are often used to assist other hatchery programs in the basin.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Multnomah Falls, 53000 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Bridal Veil, Oregon 97010

Fed by underground streams that originate miles above on Larch Mountain, this ancient 620 foot (189 m) waterfall is divided into two sections; the upper falls plummets an impressive 542 feet into a pool and again drops 69 feet to form a creek that runs into the Columbia River. Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States and the highest in Oregon, and is Oregon’s number one natural attraction, drawing over 2.5 million visitors a year from around the world. At the base of the waterfall sits the Historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, a full-service day lodge complete with a restaurant, gift shop, snack and espresso bar, and interpretative center.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Hood River, Hood River, Oregon

You will have 1 hour for lunch in Hood River (not included). Hood River brims with diverse food fare, so it won’t be hard to find the most filling farm-to-table bites with the freshest ingredients sourced locally. This destination has hiking, biking, skiing , and windsurfing. While you eat lunch in this charming downtown look out onto the Columbia River and watch the windsurfers seemingly float across the top of the Columbia River, which is the 4th largest river by volume in North America.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Rowena Crest Viewpoint, Old Columbia River Scenic Highway, Mayer State Park, Mosier, Oregon 97040

Observe the rapid change in climate and landscape as we drive east towards this iconic viewpoint at the top of a massive basalt feature, previously known as Memaloose Castle, but now referred to as Rowena Crest. The Historic Columbia River Highway winds its way up in a series of horseshoe curves and switchbacks designed back in 1915 to allow cars with limited horsepower to climb the 700 feet to the top. We will intimately experience the artistic design of this road as we slowly make our ascent. Equally stunning, you will appreciate the view from Rowena Crest, which reveals a dramatic landscape carved out by the ice age Missoula Floods. With breathtaking views and a delightful horseshoe-shaped road, it is no wonder that Rowena is one of the most photographed viewpoints in Oregon.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, 5000 Discovery Dr, The Dalles, Oregon 97058

This museum is the official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum is located on a 54-acre point of land adjacent to the Columbia River and is the interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This area includes one of the oldest continuously occupied places in North America (over 11,000 years) and parts of the Lewis and Clark and Oregon Trails.

On the grounds are walking trails, a pond, scenic overlooks, and historic artifacts. The 48,200 square foot Discovery Center & Museum building contains interactive exhibits about the creation of the gorge; Ice Age animals, including a full-size Columbian mammoth; the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery; native peoples of the area; and a life-size exhibit featuring a wagon-raft braving the Columbia River's current.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Bonneville Lock & Dam, Cascade Locks, Oregon 97014

Located 40 miles (64 km) outside of Portland on the Columbia River, the Bonneville Lock and Dam is a national historic site, and one of several dams on the river’s main stem along the Oregon and Washington border. The dam, which was built during the Roosevelt era and the Great Depression, flooded a historic Native American fishing site at Cascades Rapids. Now owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, it is recognized as one of the nation’s largest hydroelectric systems.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

As we are driving to Portland from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center we will be driving through the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

Duration: 2 hours