8 Best Sights in The Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Either by car or bicycle, tour the quiet country highways of Hood River Valley, which abounds with fruit stands, U-pick berry farms, wineries, and cideries. You can visit nearly 30 businesses along this picturesque, pastoral 35-mile route. Shop for juicy apples, pears, cherries, and peaches fertilized by volcanic soil, pure glacier water, and a conducive harvesting climate. And visit superb wineries and cider houses with sunny patios for tasting, as well as vendors of delicious baked goods, honeys and jams, fresh flowers, and fragrant lavender. While on the loop, consider stopping in the small town of Parkdale for lunch at Apple Valley BBQ, to taste beer at Solera Brewery, and to snap a photo of Mt. Hood's north face.

You'll find pretty much everything the Hood River Valley is famous for growing and producing at this picturesque, century-old farm anchored by a Dutch Colonial farmhouse and surrounded by acres of U-pick flowers, apple and peach trees, and blackberry and blueberry bushes. After strolling through the farm fields, stop inside the main house to sample local wines from Kennedy Family Farms and Cellars. Out back, there's a farm store, another tasting room serving local craft cider, and a garden patio with seating and a food-truck-style café serving delicious burgers, pear-goat cheese quesadillas, cherry-bacon flatbread pizzas, and other light fare.

One of the most-photographed spots in the region, this lake's waters reflect towering Mt. Hood and the thick forests that line its shore. Open May through mid-October, the blissfully quiet 240-acre wilderness resort in Mt. Hood National Forest, 25 miles southwest of Hood River, offers cabins and campsites for overnight stays, but it's also a popular destination for day-use recreation, offering miles of hiking trails, as well as fishing for rainbow trout, kayaking, rowboating, stand-up paddling, swimming, canoeing, and other non-motorized boating. There's also a camp store and a grill offering burgers, ice cream, and other light fare.

Somewhat unusual for the Pacific Northwest, this boutique winery with a small, airy tasting room and a verdant garden patio specializes in Italian varietals—Moscato, Dolcetto, Sangiovese, Barbera, Nebbiolo, and a few others. Owner Franco Marchesi hails from Italy's Piemonte region, and he's earned serious kudos for his finesse as a winemaker.

A 620-foot-high double-decker torrent, the second-highest year-round waterfall in the nation, Multnomah is by far the most spectacular of the Gorge cataracts east of Troutdale. It's also incredibly popular, drawing some 2.5 million visitors annually. To help manage the sometimes excessive crowds, U.S. Forest Service has begun requiring visitors to obtain timed-use permits to visit the falls and drive the Waterfall corridor between late May and early September; you can reserve your ticket, which costs $2, at  recreation.gov. Access to the falls and Multnomah Lodge is via a parking lot at Exit 31 off Interstate 84, or via the Historic Columbia River Highway; from the parking area, a paved path winds to a bridge over the lower falls. A much steeper, also paved, 1.1-mile trail climbs to a viewing point overlooking the upper falls, and from here, unpaved but well-groomed trails join with others, allowing for hours of hiking in the rugged mountains above the Gorge. Even the paved ramble to the top will get your blood pumping.

The most famous beach lining the Columbia River is right below Crown Point. Three miles of sandy beaches, panoramic cascades, and a large swimming area make this a popular spot for lazing on the sand, picnicking, and hanging out with friends. Naturists appreciate that one of Oregon's two designated nude beaches is at the east end of Rooster Rock, and that it's completely secluded and clearly marked—the area has a bit of a party vibe and is hugely popular with the LGBTQ+ community, but all are welcome. The other section of the park, where nudity is not permitted, is also beautiful and draws a good number of families. Rooster Rock is 9 miles east of Troutdale, accessible only via the interstate.

Views from atop Rowena Crest bluff are a knockout, especially during the March and April wildflower season, and there are a couple of fairly short and wonderfully scenic hikes that lead from the bluff parking lot through a pristine nature preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy. The 3½-mile (round-trip) trek up to McCall Point is especially scenic—it affords great views of Mt. Hood.

A two-tier octagonal structure perched on the edge of this 730-foot-high cliff offers unparalleled 30-mile views up and down the Columbia River Gorge. The building dates to 1917, its rotunda and lower level filled with displays about the Gorge and the highway. Vista House's architect Edgar Lazarus was the brother of Emma Lazarus, author of the poem displayed at the base of the Statue of Liberty.