8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. departures, 4 hours, $75
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The hiking in the Columbia River Gorge is some of the best in the world, but with hundreds of miles of networked trails over two states and frequent closures for wildfires and erosion, selecting the right trail is a tall order. Zipping out of the city for a few hours, just long enough to see some of the highlights and get in an hour of hiking in the forest, is an ideal way to fit the most into a few days in Portland.
After meeting at our shop, we’ll take about a 30 minute drive into the Columbia River Gorge, east of Portland. Here we will start our journey through waterfalls and viewpoints. Among stops will include the iconic Vista House, which we will visit for its viewpoint and, conditions permitting, the unique interior (the Vista House is closed Tuesdays through Thursdays and whenever weather prevents its staff from coming); one of the most impressive plunge waterfalls and get photos while we learn about the flora of the season; then we’ll get into the van for a series of short hikes, each with their own up-close encounters with tumbling water. These hikes will take you close enough to feel the waterfall’s spray and touch its basalt walls! Waterfall air — ionized water — is real magic, proven to make you happy.
Most iconic of all, this tour will include a visit to Multnomah Falls — the most photographed waterfall in Oregon and among the most picturesque waterfalls in the world. Our hike there will be at your pleasure but we suggest the easy trip up to the famed Benson Bridge to get as close as you can to this stunning beauty. Our trip does not include the hour-long steep hike to the top of the waterfall, but we will give you the opportunity to get the photos Multnomah aficionados agree are the best and to see the waterfall in the most direct and up-close manner possible.
Hikes will be about 1.5 to 3 miles, or 2.5 to 5 kilometers, in total.
The guides are storytellers, not just of the recent history of settlers, pioneers and loggers, before the century-old highway, but one of many peoples with rich mythologies. They tell the stories that have been told to them by the indigenous people as best as they can. But what’s most important, they help remind us of the long, long history this place holds.
4 hours, 1.5-3 miles (3-5 km) hiking, $69