Mt. Hood / Gorge

The Mt. Hood / Gorge region covers the Columbia River Gorge and the volcanic country south of it in north-central Oregon, the dramatic stretch where the Columbia cuts through the Cascade Range. The terrain shifts from rainforest-and-waterfall country at the western end of the Gorge through dry oak-and-grass hills at The Dalles to high alpine slopes on Mount Hood (11,249 feet), the highest peak in Oregon. The Cascade rain shadow defines the regional climate east of the crest. Three counties cover the region. Hood River County holds Hood River (the largest city and the windsurfing capital of the world) and the Mt. Hood orchards along Highway 35; Wasco County holds The Dalles; Sherman County covers the rural wheat-and-wind country east of the Deschutes. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Mount Hood National Forest, and the Historic Columbia River Highway carry the major scenery. Most trips here split between Gorge and mountain. The Historic Columbia River Highway handles the largest single-stream visitor traffic — Multnomah Falls (just outside the region), Crown Point, and Vista House; Hood River runs windsurfing on the Columbia, fruit orchards, and craft cider tasting; Mt. Hood’s Timberline Lodge, Government Camp, and Mt. Hood Meadows handle ski traffic year-round.