Driving the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge has been my absolute favorite road trip through Washington (and Oregon) during our time here so far. The views during the drive are absolutely incredible. Here are a few stops we made along the way and what we did.

Our first stop on our road trip was Vancouver, Washington. This is the beginning of the river. On the other side you’ll find Portland. We drove the whole way there on the Washington side and then drove back on the Oregon side.
Read my blog post on what we did in Vancouver HERE.

The drive beside the river is absolutely breathtaking. It is also continually offering new and different views just as pretty as the last.

Stop #2 was Spring Creek Hatchery State Park. A Discover Pass is required. We used the restroom (port-o-potties) and did some fishing. There are also picnic tables and some trails. It is dog friendly.
View info on the State Park HERE.

We saw quite a few sailboats and windsurfers.

Stop #3 is across the bridge and on the other side of the Columbia River: Hood River, Oregon. The Oregon side of the river has the beach area and rentals, restaurants, etc.

This area is the Kite surfing capitol of the world. There were literally hundreds of them out on the river. We really enjoyed watching them.

I was really surprised how shallow the river was. We went way out in the middle and it was still only thigh high. Great for the kiddos!

Muffin enjoyed the river too.

Next, (stop #4) we stopped to hike at Horsethief Butte in Columbia Hills State Park. A Discover Pass is required. There is a machine so you can purchase a day pass at the parking lot or purchase a year pass online ahead of time.

This hike is only a mile and is rated as easy. It offers gorgeous views of the gorge.
Read my full post on this hike HERE.

Our next stop was unplanned but it turned out to be my favorite stop. Stop #5 was Maryhill Winery. This winery is nestled upon the Columbia River Gorge and is the most gorgeous winery I’ve ever been to.

Read my full post on Maryhill Winery HERE.

Our last stop (Stop #6) on the Columbia River Gorge was Maryhill Stonehenge. This large stone structure is modeled after the real Stonehenge in Europe. This one, however, is a WWI Veterans memorial.

Not only does it have incredible architecture, the view is amazing.

Read my full post on Maryhill Stonehenge HERE.

Just a note, we did not do all of this in one day! We stayed overnight up near Mount Adams. To read about our stay in the Getaway Cabin, click HERE.

Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle