Weekend on the Columbia River Gorge (Northern OR)

Our weekend to the Columbia River Gorge area, east of Portland, was jam-packed with breathtaking views of waterfalls, lakes, and mountains.

Stop 1: Multnomah Falls

If you've ever searched "best things to do in Oregon," you'd be sure to come across this massive 635 foot waterfall. The falls have turned into a well-known tourist attraction, complete with a gift shop & visitor center. Since it's become so popular, timed entry reservations through Recreation.gov are required. The fee is $2, and you're required to enter the parking lot within one hour of your time slot. You can then spend as much time as you'd like walking around.

This is a very family friendly activity, yet provides options for all skill levels. You can see the falls from the ground level, walk up some steps to the bridge, or choose to take the 2.6 mile round trip hike up to the top of the waterfalls. We did part of the trail, but the amount of switchbacks and quick elevation gain in the heat were getting to me, so we turned back around. Multnomah was impressive, but didn't rank very high on our list of the things we've seen in Oregon due to the crowds. We generally prefer places where we have more space to enjoy the views.

Stop 2: Horsetail & Ponytail Falls

Just about 10 minutes down the road, you'll come across Horsetail Falls. The waterfalls along the Historic Columbia River Highway are very well marked and easy to access. You can walk straight up to this one, and we even saw some people taking a dip at the bottom of the waterfall.

Up from the same trailhead, you can hike the 0.9 mile Ponytail Falls. As a joke, we've nicknamed this the "Great Value brand" of a walk-behind waterfall. If you don't want to hike 13 miles for the famous Tunnel Falls, this is a great alternative. It was super cool to get a 360 degree up-close view! See video below.

Stop 3: Bridal Veil Falls

We hopped back on the highway and saw a sign for a waterfall not originally on our itinerary. Since we had time, we decided "why not!" This 0.5 mile hike was moderately challenging with some level of steepness, but made for a nice hike with a beautiful payoff.

Stop 4: Lunch & Breweries

We stopped in the town of Cascade Locks and visited Gorges Beer Co. We got to enjoy some brews and sodas, and delicious burgers and chicken sandwiches in an aesthetically decorated, enclosed rooftop. Looking out over the town and evergreens was a pleasant way to grab a bite after our hikes!

We stopped at Thunder Island Brewing Co afterwards for a quick beer tasting. The restaurant was very crowded, so Hunter just grabbed a brew at the bar, and we were able to snag a window seat.

Stop 5: Elowah Falls

For our last stop of the day, we headed 10 minutes down the road over to Elowah Falls. We had a completely private 2.1 mile evening hike, which always boosts our experience. The trail can be pretty narrow & steep at times, but a pretty average trail. Elowah was a pleasant, misting waterfall with a large rocky base to walk around.

End of Saturday: Camping

Whenever possible, we try to find free camping areas. During the summers in Oregon, you'll find many Sno Parks available for car/RV camping. These are easily accesible, large paved parking lots equipped with vault toilet restrooms. We had a couple Sno Parks in mind, but stumbled upon White River West. This had the most incredible view of Mount Hood. We enjoyed sitting out in our camp chairs and eating mac and cheese made on our stovetop. It was the perfect way to end a long day. We don't know how another Sno Park campsite will ever compare!

Stop 6: Trillium Lake

On Sunday, we wanted to squeeze in a few more short hikes before driving 5 hours back to Medford.

We had the most peaceful morning walk at Trillium Lake. It was a well-maintained, 2 mile walking path around the lake with a beautiful view of Mount Hood. The air was breezy and cool, but don't let that fool you - mosquitos still buzzed about.

Part of the trail is still under construction, so unless you take a detour (😉), you won't be able to take the entire loop. There is a $10 use fee, so we'd recommend coming out to do some water activities as well so you get your money's worth.

Stop 7: Sahalie Falls

We felt like we were driving all over the Mount Hood forest this day, but wanted to check one more waterfall off our list. Sahalie Falls was an easy, 1.2 mile hike if you stay on the path. However, the ending point doesn't give the best view of the waterfall since there are trees in the way. If you're feeling adventurous and have sturdy shoes (although...Hunter still hiked in flip flops...), we'd recommend taking the descending dirt climb down to the base. There were plenty of branches to hold on to, so nothing too intense. It was worthwhile to see it up close and be able to touch the basin.

Stop 8: Little Crater Lake

The shortest hike of them all was to a majestic pool known as "Little Crater Lake." The super flat, 0.3 mile dirt path in a meadow lead us to a spectacular blue pond. The water was exceptionally clear, and is surprisingly 45 feet deep!

We fit so much into this weekend trip, and while it can be done, we'd recommend several days. There's SO much to do around the Mount Hood National Forest for all interests and abilities. It was truly the epitome of the Oregon experience.

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TRIP BREAKDOWN

LENGTH OF STAY: 2 DAYS

📍 Columbia River Gorge area (OR)

💲 Multnomah Falls: $2

🚣🏻 Lake: $10

⛺ $0

⛽ 🍽️ : variable

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Wanderlog Itinerary