Columbia River Gorge Hiking Adventure

Day One: Dry Creek Falls. 4.4 miles 725 elevation gain. Arrive Portland International Airport for private ground transportation to the heart of the Columbia River Gorge area (90 min.) Today, you’ll start your hike by the Bridge of the Gods, an 1,858-foot-long steel-truss bridge which connects Oregon and Washington. You’ll be hiking a portion of the famed Pacific Crest Trail to a secluded amphitheater that houses the dry creek waterfall. Overnight at Cascade Motel, est. 1947 or similar. (D)

Day Two: Wahkeena Falls to Multnomah Falls Trail. 6 miles – 1,600 ft. elevation gain.  This trail is a waterfall lover’s paradise. There are six officially named waterfalls as well as countless cascades and intermittent falls. Towards the end of the hike, you’ll be high above the grand Multnomah Falls (Oregon’s tallest), where you can see all the people below at the viewing platforms, to which we’ll make our way down to for pictures. Overnight at Cascade Motel, est. 1947 or similar.  (B, D)

Day Three: Angels Rest Trail. This 4.8 mile out and back hike gains 1,500 feet in elevation as it climbs up to a blufftop viewpoint with incredible panoramic views of the gorge. It’s a workout with a big reward! There’s a bit of rock scrambling at the very top but if you’re not in the mood, you’ll still get incredible vistas of the Columbia River Gorge. Overnight at Cascade Motel, est. 1947 or similar. Afterwards, we’ll get cleaned up and get a taste of award-winning vintages, sun-soaked valleys and sprawling vineyards with amazing mountain views in the Hood River area. (B, D)

Day Four: Today we cross over the Bridge of the Gods into Washington and hike the iconic 1.8 mile, out-and-back Beacon Rock. It’s 680 feet up to the top of this free- standing basalt pillar along the Columbia River’s north shore. It was named by the famed explorers Lewis and Clark who were drawn to the remarkable rock which was formed after a shallow young volcano erupted. There are a whopping 53 switchbacks over a series of catwalks and carved-out staircases all the way to the top. After lunch we transfer to Portland International Airport (90 min.) for our evening flights back home. (B)