A Perfect Weekend of Waterfalls and Wine in the Columbia River Gorge

Summer trips in the Pacific Northwest often veer in one of two directions: gastronomic or outdoorsy. But the Columbia River Gorge, that marvel of freshwater and basalt, provides world-class experiences on both fronts. Below, a weekend highlighting the Gorge’s finest attributes.

Friday, 1pm: Start with lunch at Sugarpine Drive-In, Troutdale’s perpetually bustling ice cream and sandwich shack on the Sandy River. Specials regularly incorporate produce—pickled, roasted, sauce-ified—from Oregon and Washington farms, though the menu always has some sort of divine, slow-smoked pulled pork sandwich. Luscious soft serve is a must; dress it up with a house magic shell or miso caramel. After lunch, follow the trail to the banks of the Sandy for a swim or beachside reading sesh.

5pm: The waterfall circuit along the Columbia River Highway can be a zoo on a Saturday afternoon, so plan for an early morning. That’ll be easier if you stay at a hotel on the way to the Gorge, like the sprawling bacchanalia that is McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale. Its 100 rooms include hostel-style bunks and full-on suites. House a burger and some Cajun tots at the Black Rabbit, and when the sun goes down, wander over to the cerulean soaking pool.

Saturday, 8am: Stock up on pan dulce at Tany’s Café Con Pan in Wood Village; the waterfall corridor awaits. Take exit 22 from I-84 to approach the lush and winding Historic Columbia River Highway. Latourell and Wahclella Falls roar at the end of very approachable woodland trails, while Bridal Veil’s half-mile path barely counts as a hike. For a challenge, pack a lunch for the 12-mile round-trip venture to Tunnel Falls from Eagle Creek, which passes several cascades before taking hikers on a narrow cliffside trail behind a wall of falling water. If you need to tap out early, head to Lower Punch Bowl Falls and its secluded swimming hole.

1pm: Those who skip Tunnel Falls can instead eat fresh salmon at Cascade Locks’ Brigham Fish Market. Sisters Kim Brigham Campbell and Terrie Brigham are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and they catch salmon from the waters their family has fished for generations. Order Chinook fish and chips to eat outside as the afternoon sun shines on the Columbia. Then stroll along the water, or do your best Reese Witherspoon/Cheryl Strayed impression with a walk across the Bridge of the Gods.

4pm: Hood River, arguably the cultural hub of the Gorge, is home to tons of memorable places to stay—the historic cliffside Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa, the serene Sakura Ridge,  the Edwardian-themed Thistledown on Oak— but we like the low-key atmosphere, range of accommodations, and walkable location of the Hood River Hotel. Drop your bags and rove the nearby shops and bars.

6pm: A decade ago, Jason Barwikowski was a big-deal chef in the Portland area. These days, he’s filling pavlova with currant sorbet at the pastoral-chic Hiyu Wine Farm. The wines are uninhibited and mysterious, made from rare varietals grown among the produce and animals that end up on the tasting menu—seven courses, with pours to match, for $250 per person.

Sunday, 8am: Another bonus of a night at the Hood River Hotel: cardamom coffee and æbleskiver (spherical Danish pancakes) downstairs, at Portland-founded Scandinavian café Broder’s mellowest location.

10am: Cross the Columbia for juicy, sweet peaches, a summer treasure. Hot days and cool nights make Maryhill a supreme stone fruit growing region, and you can pick up a bushel at Maryhill Fruit Company’s Goldendale fruit stand, right across the Sam Hill Memorial Bridge. The stand is on the way to the Maryhill Museum of Art’s Rodin sculptures and collection of Indigenous beadwork.

2pm: Time for wine. White Salmon’s Soča shows off a remarkable collection of European bottles, plus a few local, off-the-beaten-track gems. The wine bar’s tidy slate of small plates complement most glass pours and serve as a worthy lunch—think white bean panzanella and caviar-topped deviled eggs. For a less boozy meal, all the stellar sandwiches (including the capicola-loaded Italian) at White Salmon Baking Company come on house-baked bread.

3pm: Wine lovers who wince at the pomp and circumstance of Willamette Valley tasting rooms will adore the laid-back Loop de Loop in Underwood. Owners Julia Bailey Gulstine and Scott Gulstine walk bottles of skin-contact viognier and Dalles-grown Syrah into a field knee-high with wildflowers as their English shepherd, Luna, romps. Seated in lawn chairs and at bistro tables surrounded by mountain and gorge views, you’ll taste Alpine-vibe wines grown on Underwood Mountain. Hard to beat.