Explore Columbia River Gorge Half-Day Small-Group Tour
- Live Guide
- Group Tour
- E-Ticket
The 85-mile (137-km) long Columbia Gorge NSA would be a national park if it weren't a critical transportation corridor. It features waterfalls, mountains, monoliths, terraces, resort towns, vineyards, orchards, and The River, harboring a plethora of fish and birds, and unique plants and invertebrates. In the early 1900s, Portlanders would drive their Model T cars along the Columbia River Highway to gaze at waterfalls. It was the first scenic highway built in America. There is said to be over 4000 waterfalls; many are hidden away, but many are just a short hike off the Historic Highway. On this tour you'll explore the western, rainforested, southern side of the Gorge, dubbed "waterfall alley" where we'll have you getting wet under a waterfall, peering over cliffs, and learning stories of the area only the locals know.
Itinerary Details
Operated by: Terran Travels
Stop At: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
On the eastern edge of the Portland Metro Area is the western edge of the beautiful 85-mile long Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Duration: 3 hour
Stop At: Columbia River Highway
Your guide will drive you along segments of this stunning 74-mile (119 -km) highway that was inspired by the Axenstrasse in the Swiss Alps.
Duration: 2 hour
Stop At: Sandy River
We'll parallel the Sandy River while driving the western segment of the Columbia River Highway. The Sandy's headwaters is a glacier on Mt. Hood, and the river is known for its Steelhead and Chinook runs. As a result, the Sandy is one of three tributaries of the Columbia who's dams have been removed since 2007.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Portland Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint
Here's your chance to capture the quintessential Gorge shot.
Duration: 10 minutes
Stop At: Vista House
This 100-year-old 'fanciest rest stop in the world' sits atop a basalt point above the Columbia River, with a 360-degree balcony. The sandstone, limestone, and marble building includes historical interpretation and fancy restrooms.
Duration: 15 minutes
Stop At: Latourell Falls
A short walk from the vehicle reveals a 249-foot hanging waterfall adorned with fluorescent lichen and columnar basalt.
Duration: 20 minutes
Stop At: Shepperd's Dell State Natural Area
This delightful little cove provides for a hidden surprise and some remarkable pictures.
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Bridal Veil Falls State Park
An old logging ghost town dating to the 1880s, harboring a waterfall, an operating post office, and a circa-1920s B & B.
Pass By: Wahkeena Falls
A short switch-back trail through Hemlock and Doug-fir leads to a bridge at the base of the falls.
Stop At: Multnomah Falls
The tallest waterfall in the state, with a combined height of 620 feet.
Duration: 30 minutes
Pass By: Oneonta Gorge
A slot canyon created by a fault, with plants growing on the walls found nowhere else.
Stop At: Horsetail Falls- Columbia River Gorge
Get some quirky photos at this quirky waterfall!
Duration: 10 minutes
Pass By: Beacon Rock
View the fifth-largest free-standing monolith in the world, from a distance.
Pass By: Rooster Rock State Park
As we pass by, view the rock that inspired North America's oldest continuously running nudist beach!
