The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. 1,200 m deep and over 80 miles long, the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. The best way to access the area is from Portland, Oregon, a mere 30 minutes away. Take I-84 E from Portland and exit 22 onto the Historic Columbia River Highway, an approximately 75-mile scenic highway between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the United States, it has been recognized in numerous ways, including a listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark, designation as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and considered a "destination unto itself" as an All-American Road by the U.S. Secretary of Transportation. It truly is a destination by itself.

The first stop on the highway is the Vista House, an observatory at Crown Point 733 feet above the Columbia River. Visit the gallery in the basement and if weather permits, climb to the top of the dome. After a quick break, continue on till you are stopped in awe by the Latourell Falls, clearly visible from the road. Situated within the Guy W. Talbot State Park, the falls drops straight down from an overhanging basalt cliff. Try to do hike as much of 2.1 mile trail as weather will permit and then continue back on the highway. A few miles east, is the Bridal Veil Falls. Unlike most of the falls on the highway, this one requires a hike of 3/4 mile before you can catch a glimpse, but when you do, the hike easily becomes worth it. Next, is the Wahkeena Falls, a beautiful cascading falls. A short hike will lead you to a bridge that overlooks the largest drop section of the falls. A longer hike east of the Wahkeena falls will lead you to the Multnomah Falls.

Multnomah Falls is a waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, that drops in two major steps, split into an upper falls of 542 feet and a lower falls of 69 feet for a total credited height of 620 feet. It is also the 2nd tallest year-round waterfalls in the US and is visible from the scenic highway but definitely do the hike to the bridge or even to the top.

This is a perfect day's trip from Portland and is proof to the beauty that abounds in Oregon.