Hike the waterfalls only 35 minutes from Portland Oregon, with us!

Duration

4 hours

About

From our shop in the inner Hawthorne neighborhood at 833 SE Main St #124, we’ll drive you to the Columbia River Gorge and tell you stories while you gaze at vistas and hike to waterfalls. 8:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. (Earlier afternoon times November — February.) All transportation and guide included.

The 80 miles of the Columbia River Gorge’s steep rocky sides offer some of the most spectacular scenery in the world: pounding waterfalls, eagles, century-old trees, ferns, flowers, ancient rocks. This half-day of exploring and meditating on wonders with very short hikes and visits to overlooks and vistas will have you gasping in awe.

We'll visit waterfalls and overlooks, selected by our guides to include both the most iconic, like the unmissable Latourell Falls, and the special. Depending on weather conditions, this could include a few small hidden waterfalls and another spectacular plunge-style falls with columnar basalt.

We'll also tell you stories, not just of the geology and botany and the oft-repeated tales of pioneers and road-builders, but also the old stories we've learned, of gods and animal spirits and the souls of the forest.

Itinerary

• After meeting you at our shop at 833 SE Main St, we'll head out in one of our passenger vans. The tour all takes place in the Columbia River Gorge, in the waterfall-laden western end of an 80-mile (130-km) canyon.
• Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state and one of the most impressive, and most photographed, waterfalls in the U.S. If you're chasing waterfalls: this is the one many are seeking to catch. We'll stop at the falls for photos and the 1/4 mile / 1/2 km hike to the iconic Benson Bridge.
• At Wahkeena Falls or Bridal Veil Falls, we'll give you the opportunity to get within misting range of the waterfall, either a 1/4-mile paved hike up through forests singed -- but not destroyed -- in the 2017 Columbia Gorge wildfires or a 2/3 mile gravel and rocky up-and-down hike through young lush forests through berry plants and ferns.
• Latourell is the most impressive of the plunge-style waterfalls, tumbling over layers of 15 million-year-old columnar and entablature basalt frosted with lichens and, according to local legend, carries the spirit of a Beaver princess who led a tragic life. Breathe deep: you'll experience the rich variety of the forest with all its healing power and spiritual truths.
• At the most beautiful rest stop in Oregon, we'll stop, take a walk to the upper deck (weather permitting), learn about the architectural history, and enjoy what could be the most expensive public bathroom in the Pacific Northwest. We'll also remember the Wasco people, who found this one of their holy places. (Vista House is closed Tuesday-Thursday and other days due to inclement weather, so this will sometimes be just a viewpoint stop.)
• View an expansive vista of the Columbia River Gorge, take photos, and hear the story of who was here before us. We'll also tell you how the waterfalls were created.