Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
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to 115 officially named waterfalls—and many more un-named, off trail,
and/or ephemeral falls—this 85-mile stretch of river boasts the highest
concentration of waterfalls in the world!
Thanks to the damp and cool weather of the Pacific Northwest, there is no shortage of moisture in the area, making for an impossibly lush and beautiful temperate rainforest ecosystem in the gorge. You can’t beat this setting—each and every stream or waterfall is strikingly gorgeous. With vegetation coving everything in sight, the place truly feels like a scene out of a dream. Spruce and fir trees tower hundreds of feet above, vine maples sprawl across the forest floor, five-foot-tall ferns evoke a prehistoric, primordial feeling, and the thick coats of moss and epiphytes covering every possible surface bring about a unique feeling of mystery and magic that I have yet to discover anywhere else. With deciduous plants, trees, and mosses showing their most vibrant greens, and streams still swollen from rainfall, spring is a great time to visit the gorge.
Thanks to the damp and cool weather of the Pacific Northwest, there is no shortage of moisture in the area, making for an impossibly lush and beautiful temperate rainforest ecosystem in the gorge. You can’t beat this setting—each and every stream or waterfall is strikingly gorgeous. With vegetation coving everything in sight, the place truly feels like a scene out of a dream. Spruce and fir trees tower hundreds of feet above, vine maples sprawl across the forest floor, five-foot-tall ferns evoke a prehistoric, primordial feeling, and the thick coats of moss and epiphytes covering every possible surface bring about a unique feeling of mystery and magic that I have yet to discover anywhere else. With deciduous plants, trees, and mosses showing their most vibrant greens, and streams still swollen from rainfall, spring is a great time to visit the gorge.
30 - 45 minutes from Portland
