Columbia River Gorge - Part 1
It doesn’t get any better than this view - standing atop Rowena Crest Viewpoint
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area hasn’t been on my list for the last couple of years and I felt like I definitely have been missing out. With the Eagle Creek still posing potential hazards in the area and the pandemic, I never thought to really spend time down there. But so far this year, I was able to visit the area twice.
The first time being a stop on the drive back from Smith Rock - instead of taking the usual route of cutting through Mount Hood, I decided to take the longer way home. I stopped by some of the major scenic pit stops on the way but unfortunately didn’t have time to complete any hikes. The second time was more intentional - my friend wanted to go see the wildflowers and so we planned a camping trip down to the Washington side of the gorge. If you know me well enough, you’ll know that I can’t say no to extend my road trip. So on the way back, I decided to try to hunt down more wildflowers. Spontaneous stops were definitely a little trickier because I have been taking my dog with me and I need to make sure he could go on a trail where he could stretch his legs.
In this post, I will try to cover all the major stops I made when I visited this area twice. I suggest really taking your time doing the drive as there are many spots to stop along the way and sometimes in order to really experience the beauty of this area, it’s best to actually carve out ample time to complete some of the hikes. Also, please note the scenic area is huge and I’ve only covered a small portion of things that you can do if you’re taking a spontaneous drive like I am. There are clearly lots of reasons to go back though!
Overview of the places mentioned in this post
Most of the stops mentioned in this post are conveniently located along I-84 or you are required to cross the bridge. It hugs the Columbia River but if you have time, I definitely recommend eventually getting onto the Historical Columbia Highway - more on that later. The entire highway has pretty good cell coverage so I think in this situation, it is okay to rely on Google Maps to do the navigation work for you.
The first time since I visited the area for a long time this year was I driving from Bend, Oregon. So let’s start with White River Falls State Park because compared to all other locations mentioned, this one is a little ways out.
Bend to White River Falls State Park
Much of the drive between Bend and the Dalles was like this - this is pretty typical for Eastern Oregon
I was actually really sick when I did this drive but I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to explore places I haven’t yet visited. I followed Google Maps for directions since it gave me 3 options to drive back to Seattle. I’ve done 2 out of 3 of them and figured I’d give I-84 a try especially when I realized it would finally hit some of the scenic viewpoints I’ve wanted to see. A lot of scenery along this drive reminded me of the trip I did in Eastern Oregon. Obviously, it should also remind you that yes, we are indeed in the dry part of the state, much like Eastern Washington as well. The type of vegetation was definitely different from the regular forests and tall trees you see on the western areas. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed driving it because of how far I could see on each side of the highway. I made a quick stop along the highway to see if there are potentially any waterfalls I could stop by since I didn’t have time to stop by Tumalo Falls while I was in Bend.
I found out about White River Falls State Park. The park itself is small and it is day use only. It also provided as a good rest stop for my dog and I to take a short walk down to a plunging waterfall since it must have recently rained quite a bit in the area. There is a trail that takes to you lower to the canyon to get a different view of the waterfall. I felt a little lazy and since the trail was steep and I had my dog, I didn’t do it. However, this tiny state park is a great stop if you need to get out of your car for a minute.
White River State Falls to Rowena Crest Viewpoint
This section is obviously the highlight of the drive. I remember the first and only time I’ve been to the gorge was when my dad took the family out on a road trip. That was also a time when I was just getting started with photography. I had my DSLR in hand and tried my best to capture Multnomah Falls. I remember hiking up to the bridge and realized how small I was (literally). I didn’t really enjoy nature that much growing up but I was still able to appreciate the beauty of the area.
To be able to visit this area again as an adult doing a solo trip got me thinking about how privileged I was growing up. I am definitely grateful to have a wanderlust dad that made sure the entire family was able to experience the outdoors and nature.
I didn’t really have a plan while I was driving on I-84, which is the main highway that travels perpendicular to the Columbia River. I relied mostly on exit signs to plan my stops. While I was driving, I thought about Rowena Crest all of a sudden. I remember seeing a lot of posts on Instagram that geotagged the location and I thought to myself, I need to see this for myself and perhaps snap that iconic photo you see all across social media. Little did I know that Rowena Crest Viewpoint was actually along the historic Columbia River Highway. Once I spent enough time soaking in the views, I didn’t hesitate to get on the historic highway and continued my way back to Seattle.
Rowena Crest Viewpoint is perfect for the classic view of the Columbia River Gorge
I didn’t end up finding that classic Instagram spot but it was still amazing to feel like I was on top of the world. It was still early in the season for wildflowers but there were some that was starting to pop up. The Tom McCall Preserve is also located in this area where you can hike along a plateau along the Columbia River Gorge. When wildflowers are in bloom, this is actually a really popular hike for that. Unfortunately, since it is a preserve, pets are now allowed on any trails in the area. After snapping a few more pictures here and there, I returned to my car and started driving again. Next stop - wherever the historic highway took me.
Rowena Crest to the Waterfalls
I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures while I was driving from Rowena Crest to the ‘waterfall area’ because although there were a few interesting things to see, it was mainly just a drive and trying to get to the waterfalls before it got dark. But the historic highway does take you through Cascade Locks, Washington. If you know a thing or two about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, you’ll know that a lot of backpackers mention this little quaint town. Crossing the Bridge of the Gods was a big deal for them too so I definitely had to go see it myself. There is a toll for the bridge so I opted out this time. It would also fast track my drive into Washington but the purpose of doing this drive was so that I could perhaps hit one or two waterfalls along the way. I parked my car near the bridge (there’s a little small area with parking and picnic shelter), walked a few feet and snapped some pictures of the bridge and the PCT sign and called it good.
There it is, the PCT sign! It’s not my first time seeing it but it was nice to see in an urban setting
The small area where once again, allowed my dog to stretch his legs. There’s also a bathroom here.
Bridge of the Gods where there is a toll to cross it
After playing tourist for a little fan and fangirl-ing over the PCT trail sign, I once again hit the road. As I’m writing this post, I wish I spent more time in this area. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is known to have some of the best waterfalls in Oregon state. I was able to see only two since I was strapped on time and I was also feeling sick, so hiking something with a good amount of elevation gain with my dog didn’t seem like a feasible option. Nonetheless, there was one waterfall where you can quite literally just park your car and see the waterfall.
A while back, I actually created a map and noted down all the waterfalls I wanted to visit. I haven’t had the chance to visit all of it yet since a lot of these waterfalls also require a short or longer hike in to actually see them. Friends of the Gorge is also a really good resource to find hikes in the area. The aftermath of the Eagle Creek Fire can still be felt in the area so some of these trails remain close due to hazardous trail conditions. I only time to visit a couple of time and because I didn’t plan on doing any hikes, it was a little more difficult. But I thought to myself that perhaps it was time to revisit Multnomah Falls - this was one spot that I wanted to return to because I had direct memory with it from when my dad took me here.
The first waterfall I stopped by was Horsetail Falls - I think this is the only other waterfall you could see roadside along the road. I did park my car in the small lot across and crossed the street to take a closer look at the waterfall. When I got there, there was barely anyone around so I was able to stand really close and get unobstructed shots of the waterfall. Although not massive, it was still cool to be able to stand so close to a waterfall - it definitely reminded of the hike I did at Silver Falls State Park, although this one was not as dramatic.
As I drove further along the historic highway, there wasn’t much to see if I wasn’t hiking but the road itself was fun to drive. The highway was designed back in the 1920s so it was definitely built for cars that perhaps were a lot smaller than what we have now. The road was quite narrow. Although not super scenic, the drive takes you through lush forests as this section probably sees a good amount of a rain every year. After driving for 10 minutes, I was starting to hit traffic and realized I was getting close to Multnomah Falls. I believe in the peak season (now until October), you are required to get a pass through Recreation.gov if you want to visit Multnomah Falls. This area is overly crowded at all times and even when I visited this time, it was perhaps the only area where I saw more than 10 people at once. The nearby Multnomah Falls Lodge is also open so if you want a bite or get gifts, this is your stop.
I didn’t want to stay stuck in traffic so I actually almost gave up on going to see the waterfall. I merged back onto I-84 and realized that further down the highway, there was another route that would take me to it. I took the exit and here we were, a much larger parking lot.
While I didn’t do any hiking this time round, being able to drive through familiar places definitely brought back some memories. I honestly do enjoy spending time on the road alone. It allows me to take my mind off of things and just focus on the scenery around me. It also helps that now that I take most of my road trips with my dog with me, so in a sense, I’m not entirely alone. I headed down to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area a few weeks after this to chase some wildflowers, so stay tuned for that post!