Columbia River Gorge (Washington State and Oregon)

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Has anyone explored the Columbia River Gorge?  We are planning a long weekend trip in June.

In particular, we will be roaming between Cascade Locks (on the west end of the Gorge) to The Dalles area (on the east end of the Gorge)

I'm looking at several wineries (Columbia Gorge AVA), but also looking for recommendations for restaurants and other activities like hiking.

We are flying out of PDX, but otherwise will not be going to Portland.  The trip is Gorge-specific.  Thanks.   

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It's a little west of Cascade Locks, but there are great waterfall and hikes all along the river, the most famous being Multnomah Falls. There are short hikes just from the parking lot to the falls, but then there are lots of trail networks where you can get away from the crowds and get into nature.  If you're going to do Multnomah, make sure you get there early.  It's definitely a tourist trap and gets crowded!  But there are tons of other waterfalls and hikes along that road.

The town of Hood River is a great place to stop for lunch and watch the wind surfers who gather there.  Lots of micro brew/lunch places along the river to eat at.  The rest of the town is pretty cool.....an old west town with interesting shops.

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What a stunning place.

We drove south from Central Washington, headed west through some amazing scenery along I-90, hopped on the always lovely Rt. 821 which takes you along the Yakima River Gorge, and then headed South along Rt. 97 through the Yakima Indian Reservation passing through a stunning forest and mountain range, before dropping into the Columbia River Gorge near Maryhill.  At one point we could see Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens.

The Columbia River Gorge is an interesting study in microclimates.  On the Eastern end of the Gorge you are entering a semi-arid region, The Dalles, OR receives roughly 14 inches of precipitation; Hood River, OR, roughly the half point in the Gorge, receives 31 inches of precipitation; while Cascade Locks, OR on the West end of the Gorge receives approximately 75 inches of precipitation.  This covers a span of 40 miles (think DC to Baltimore).

Hood River, a charming river town with art galleries, restaurants, breweries, and distilleries; and The Dalles, which we only drove past and seemed a little more strip mall-ish are the two population centers.  The Washington side of the Gorge consists of mostly blink and you'll miss them villages. 

If you are an outdoors-y type there are a ton of activities:  Hood River is internationally known for windsurfing and kite boarding, there is plenty of hiking, kayaking, wine tasting, and hot springs.  And you'll certainly want to catch Golden Hour and the sunset along the Columbia River.   

Wineries

Many of the wineries are by appointment only and most have either a tasting fee or minimum bottle purchase, so make sure you checkout the details.  We visited two wineries:

COR Cellars:  Nestled in the hills around the Gorge on the Washington side, their tasting room has a contemporary indoor/outdoor vibe.  It’s a great space.  We did the tasting flight and had a cheese and charcutier board.  They produce wines for immediate consumption, they want wines that reflect the lifestyle of the Gorge, opening a bottle by the river at a picnic or at the end of a hike.  We enjoyed their white wines, including the sauvignon blanc, tocai friulano, and Alba.

AniChe Cellars:  Also on the Washington side, AniChe is a women owned and operated winery that has a more rustic low key vibe with spectacular views of the Gorge.  We enjoyed their slightly effervescent Puck white wines, 7 Gables red, and Tyger Tyger.    

While eating out we also tried the Syncline Pic Poul, which was fine, and an excellent 2015 Syrah from Savage Grace.

Restaurants

Backwoods Brewing Company (Carson, WA)  After a day of travel, we stopped in at Backwoods Brewing Company, mainly because it was 5 minutes from our hotel.  The salmon dip was good although the accompanying vegetables and bread were sort of clunky. The pizza was fine but not great.  The porter was kinda weirdly sweet.

Celilo Restaurant and Bar (Hood River):  This was our fancier dinner of the weekend.  Celilio is sort of PNW fancy, which means nice but still casual and relaxed.  We started with their plate of dips and spread which was solid.  We also got the skillet clams which was a good dish, although the broth needed some butter and salt.  I had the fava bean and beet fettucine which was fine, again under seasoned.  The wine list has an excellent selection of local wine.  The restaurant is very nice, but food-wise it could have been better.

Solstice Wood Fired Pizza Café (Hood River):  Situated along the waterfront park, Solstice is casual, with a similar vibe to Pizza Paradiso Dupont.  We had very good fries, a decent Caesar salad, and a very good mushroom pizza, with nice char to the crust.  The wood fired S’more was decadent and delicious.  I would return.  

Eastwind Drive-In (Cascade Locks):  Retro style diner with a take-out window serving burgers, fries, grilled cheese, and soft serve ice cream.  A delicious treat after a nice hike.  For fans of Cheryl Strayed and her book Wild, this is the place she ends her hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. 

Other Activities

Hiking:  There are plenty of hiking trails around the Gorge.  We decided to do the Dry Creek Falls trail, which starts in Cascade Locks.  It’s an easy to moderate there and back forest hike mostly along the Pacific Crest Trail ending at a 74-foot waterfall that drops into a basalt amphitheater.  It was exactly what we were looking for in a PNW day hike.  It took us about 3 hours total with a lunch break at the falls.

Kayaking:  We did a great 2.5-hour afternoon guided kayak trip along the Wind River.  The other people canceled so it ended up being a private trip with the guide, who owns the business (and was born in DC!).  If you like kayaking, check out Hood River SUP and Kayaking. 

Hot Springs:  We stayed at Carson Hot Springs Golf and Spa Resort.  They bill themselves as being rustic and they are a historic hot springs spa situated in a forested area with mountain views.  The room was a basic hotel room but fine for a couple of days.  They have a great indoor jacuzzi style hot mineral water pool and cool off pool.  They also offer private spa services.  As a hotel guest you have unlimited use of the pool area.

The Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular place to visit, can’t wait to return.