Things To Do
Explore the Wineries in Hood River
There is lots of good wine tasting in Hood River! Some of our favorite spots are Mt. Hood Winery, Wy'East Vineyard, and Stave & Stone.
Visit Mount Hood
Mount Hood is about 45 minutes from Hood River. We highly recommend driving up to the Historic Timberline Lodge and taking in all the views. Trillium Lake is another great place to paddle board, kayak, or relax by the lake. Some of our favorite hikes near Mount Hood are: 1. Zig Zag Canyon (4.4 miles, 820 ft. elevation) - starts at Timberline Lodge 2. Mirror Lake (4.4 Miles, 640 ft. elevation) 3. Tom, Dick and Harry (7.7 Miles, 1,460 ft. elevation) 4. McNeil Point (10.4 Miles, 2,220 ft. elevation)
Experience the Water Falls along the Historic Columbia River Highway
We absolutely love driving along the Columbia River Gorge and taking in all the beautiful waterfalls. We highly recommend taking a few hours to drive along this road and stop at a few waterfalls. You can experience a few waterfalls from the road, but we highly recommend making quick stops at the following spots: 1. Multnomah Falls 2. Latourell Falls 3. Bridal Veil Falls 4. Vista House - Lookout point -- which you can drive to -- has incredible views of the Columbia RIver Gorge Our favorite waterfalls/views that are worth the hike: 1. Angels Rest (4.8 miles, 1,450 ft. elevation) - this is our favorite short hike in the gorge and has incredible views and sunsets! 2. Wahclella Falls (2 miles, 250 ft. elevation) 3. Latourell Falls Loop (2.4 miles, 620 ft. elevation) 4. Wahkeena Falls (5.1 miles, 1,640 ft. elevation)
Breweries in Hood River
Our favorite place to relax and have a post hike beer is at Hood River Waterfront Park. You can easily grab a beer to go from one of the breweries and walk across the street to enjoy watching the paragliders in the Columbia River. There are lots of great breweries that you can explore in Hood River!
Kayak on the Columbia River
We highly recommend taking in the mountain views from the Columbia River. We had a great experience doing a sunset kayaking tour with the Gorge Paddling Center! Please be sure to book in advance.
Take a trip to the Oregon Coast
The Oregon coast is one of our favorite places to explore. Favorite beach hikes near Portland: Cape Falcon, Cape Lookout, God's Thumb Scenic Viewpoints: Arcadia Beach, Cape Disappointment, Cape Meares, Devil's Cauldron, Ecola State Park, Devil's Punch bowl, Cape Kiwanda, Oregon Dunes Recreation Area, Cape Perpetua, Yaquina Head Lighthouse Favorite Fish and Chips: The Fish Peddler at Pacific Oyster Favorite Beach Towns: Cannon Beach and Manzanita Coffee shop at Cannon beach: Sleepy Monk Favorite Brewery: Pelican Brewery at Pacific City Best Spot for Dungeness Crab: Tony's Crab Shack in Bandon Beach Cutest Place to stay: The Newport Belle Favorite Seafood Restaurant: Local Ocean in Newport Favorite Spot for Sea Lions: Astoria
Best Places to Eat in Hood River
Check out this link for some great places to eat in Hood River!
Take a Stop at Cascade Locks
On your drive to or from Portland, take a stop at Thunder Island Brewing in Cascade Locks. The views on the outdoor patio are amazing and the beer is quite delicious. Stop next door at Brigham Fish Market to eat some local steelhead!
Mount Saint Helens National Volcanic Monument
Visiting Mount Saint Helens is worth the 2 hour drive from Hood River. You can take in the views from Johnson Ridge Observatory or take a hike along the boundary trail. One of our favorite/hardest hikes in the pacific northwest is the Boundary Trail to Coldwater peaks. The climb is worth the views!
Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is one of the most breathtaking things we have seen. We highly recommend extending your trip and driving 4.5 hours to Crater Lake. On the way, make a stop in the adorable town of Bend which has great breweries, paddle boarding, tubing and hiking! At Crater Lake, you can drive around the rim and take in the views of the deep blue water. We recommend the Garfield Peak trail which has 360-degree views and is a 3.4 mile hike with 1,069 feet of elevation gain. If you want to take a polar plunge in Crater Lake, hike down the Cleetwood Cove trail which is 2 miles and 620 feet of elevation.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainer is one of the most underrated national parks that we have been to. It is about a 3 hour drive from Hood River and has countless incredible hikes. We loved doing the Paradise Point loop!
Smith Rock State Park
If you want to feel like you are in Utah, drive to Smith Rock State park which is close to Bend, Oregon. Smith Rock is where modern American rock climbing was created. It is fun to watch the rock climbers, mountain bike or hike. If you drive here, you will get a good glimpse of the varied terrain Oregon has to offer!