hikespeak

Catherine Creek Arch is a surprising creation - a bridge-like span of rock along a ledge of basalt. A 1-mile round trip hike leads to the foot of Catherine Creek Arch (and longer loops in the area are also possible). This short and sweet outing entertains hikers of all ages. Part of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Catherine Creek is located on the Washington side of the west end of the gorge, where lovely views are easy to find. ...Read more.

Hikers pack the slopes of Dog Mountain to see spring wildflowers, but tackling a lot of elevation is not required to see one of the best blooms in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Instead, visit Catherine Creek, where an easy, paved 0.9-mile loop (with just 100 feet of elevation change) floods with wildflowers in the spring and early summer. ...Read more.

It isn't pack mentality that makes Dog Mountain one of the most popular hikes on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. The grassy slopes near the summit put on a winning display of spring wildflowers, enhancing year-round views over the gorge's beautiful surroundings. Dog Mountain Trail is steep and largely forested, ascending 2,825 feet in 3 1/3 miles. ...Read more.

Take a drive through the Columbia River Gorge and you're sure to be impressed by a diagonal band of cliffs on the Washington side of the gorge that rise from the river toward the mountains above. These grand and daunting cliffs are called Coyote Wall or the Syncline. A network of single-track trails and old jeep roads extend up alongside the columnar basalt ledge. ...Read more.

Angel's Rest Lookout boast soaring views across Columbia River Gorge. Things get particularly heavenly at sunrise when the first rays of light grace the gorge. Angel's Rest Trail starts from Historic Columbia River Highway, just off Interstate 84, and rises 1,500 feet over a 4.8-mile round trip hike. In addition to superb sights at the top, the trail seals its Columbia River Gorge status by passing waterfalls on Coopey Creek. ...Read more.

Fantastic waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, charming cascades, and handsome forests entertain hikers on the first couple miles of Eagle Creek Trail. Venture up a scenic canyon on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge near Cascade Locks, following the tumbling water of Eagle Creek. Trek under and across steep cliffs that place cascades in your path. ...Read more.

Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon and not the sort of waterfall that leaves you asking for more. Still, the Columbia River Gorge has so many waterfalls to offer that you can pair scoping out Multnomah Falls from top to bottom with admiring a quintet of other waterfalls on an immensely beautiful hike. This loop combines Wahkeena Trail with Larch Mountain Trail and is 6. ...Read more.

Do you have a need for waterfalls? Heading to the Columbia River Gorge is a good start (the area is stocked full of them). If you choose to hike Horsetail Falls Trail, you'll get a tall waterfall right at the trailhead. Half a mile up the trail, you'll find another waterfall that you can actually walk behind. Combine Horsetail Falls Trail and Oneonta Trail for a 2. ...Read more.

Lower Oneonta Falls is an enchantress – a 100-foot ribbon of white water plunging down a steep wall of dark volcanic rock draped in moss and ferns. Getting to this waterfall demands an off-trail adventure up Oneonta Gorge that involves wading through crystal clear stretches of Oneonta Creek as it passes between the towering walls of this narrow gorge. ...Read more.

If you were designing a landscape just for waterfalls, you would end up with something not unlike the Columbia River Gorge. Dozens of waterfalls spill from the basalt cliffs in this region. The abundance of water creates mossy natural retreats that could barely be matched even if you were designing a landscape from scratch. Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the area, and while Wahclella Falls is not as grand (its two tiers total 130 feet), it is quite charming and the trail to the waterfall is a lot less crowded. ...Read more.