Columbia Gorge Archives | The Good Hearted Woman

Wahkeena Falls {Hike}

Beautiful and easy to access, Wahkeena Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the Columbia River Gorge.

The Columbia River Gorge offers visitors almost an infinite hiking opportunities. Some of our favorite day hikes can be found along the string of waterfalls on Oregon’s Historic Columbia River Highway known as the “Waterfall Loop,” where well-maintained trails are abundant and the scenery is spectacular. The hike to Wahkeena Falls is especially beautiful, with something to see around every bend in the trail.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Unlike Multnomah Falls and many of the other falls on the waterfall loop, Wahkeena Falls is not a single, straight fall, but rather a series of steps, horsetails, and plunges between basalt outcroppings as Wahkeena Creek makes its way down to the base of the falls and on to the Columbia River.

Wahkeena Falls, once known as Gordon Falls (for F.E. Gordon, a pioneer landowner), was renamed in 1915, after the completion of the Columbia River Highway. Wahkeena – a Yakima Indian word meaning “most beautiful” – is a fitting name.

From the Oregon State Archives “A 1940 Journey Across Oregon”:

… WAHKEENA FALLS, 159.6 m., named for the daughter of a Yakima Indian chief, are considered by some the most beautiful of the many falls in the gorge. There is no sheer drop, but the waters hurl themselves in a series of fantastic cascades down the steep declivity. Wahkeena Creek has its source in Wahkeena Springs only a mile and a half above the cliff over which the waters plunge. …

Even the Wahkeena Falls trailhead is stunning. (I’m just going to say it – I’m really proud of this photograph.)

The hike to Wahkeena Falls is moderately easy, and although the trail offers a bit of an upward climb going in – a 400 feet gain in about a half mile – it is well worth the effort.

From beginning to end, the Wahkeena Trail (#420) rewards day hikers with beautiful views. There is a short .2 mile paved hike to the lowest stage of the falls that’s popular with families and folks who aren’t up to hiking to the top. There is even a nice little stone bench if you want to sit down and take a break. From there, the trail takes you through about a dozen switchbacks with a steep rise in elevation that will seriously challenge your calves if you’ve avoiding the gym lately.

The trail is wide enough to walk side-by-side with a hiking buddy, and very well maintained. Like most of the trails in the waterfall loop, there are many interconnecting links, so be sure to mind the “street signs” that you see along the way.

Beautiful and easy to access, Wahkeena Falls is one of the most popular destinations in the Columbia River Gorge. | The Good Hearted Woman

Am I the only one who thinks this is funny?

Know Before You Go

Distance: 1.4 miles round trip to the top, 0.4 round trip to the bridge
Hike Time: 1 – 1.5 hours
Elevation gain: 850 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Hike Type: Out and back
Trail Condition: Well maintained trail
Start point: Wahkeena Trailhead Road
Family & dog-friendly (Dogs must be on a leash)

Waterfall Loop Map

Read what others have to say about Wahkeena Falls on TripAdvisor.

Getting there:
From Portland head east on I-84 and take the Bridal Veil (Exit 28). At the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway, take a left heading east and go approximately 3 miles, just before Multnomah Falls. There is parking on both sides of the highway, and the trail head is on the south side of the highway, heading west. There is another trail that connects this trail head to Multnomah Falls, heading east.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

The Lake House Bed & Breakfast {Otis, Oregon}

February 26 By Renée ♥ 5 Comments

Our annual Valentine’s weekend getaway took us to the Oregon coast this year, and The Lake House Bed & Breakfast.

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they don’t bite.

Over the last few years, one of the rituals that Mr. B and I have established is to take an annual Valentine’s weekend getaway. Mr B takes charge of making all the arrangements for our annual escape, so all I have to do is pack my bag and hop in the car.

Valentine bliss with my sweetheart, with all the planning done for me – what more could a girl ask for?

This year, Mr B found us a lovely little retreat just a few hours from Portland: The Lake House Bed & Breakfast, located on Devil’s Lake, two miles from the Pacific coast and downtown Lincoln City.

The sign hanging over the breakfast room door at The Lake House speaks volumes. Visiting The Lake House is a lot like visiting your grandparents house – your cool grandparents who make you awesome breakfasts, talk a mean game of baseball, and then leave you alone to do pretty much whatever you want.

We stayed in The Lakeside Room, a lovely suite on the second level of the main house with a private outside entrance and a beautiful view of the lake. The room was homey and pleasant, and our king-size bed was extremely comfortable. The soft mauve and ecru decor, while somewhat dated, was nevertheless pleasant and attractive.

The room has a small sitting area, and a café table by the large picture window where you can enjoy a beautiful lake view with your morning coffee.

The Lakeside Room also comes with a private hot tub on the deck that overlooks the lake, and thick, comfy robes are provided to keep you cozy and warm when you are getting to and from the hot tub. Sitting out in the coastal air surrounded by warm bubbles as you watch the day fade over the lake makes for a wonderfully relaxing way to unwind.

Our hosts, Red and Mary, made us feel comfortable and welcome, and gave us the privacy we desired as well.

Each morning when we came downstairs, we were greeted by Red and Mary and a lovely (color coordinated!) breakfast. The menus were well thought out and the food was delicious. After serving up the food, our hosts joined us at the table each day for a lively conversation, and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with them.

One thing that really stands out to me is our hosts’ efforts to make our experience as pleasant as possible. On the night we arrived, Red and Mary were just getting ready to eat their dinner. The path up to our room took us by the kitchen, and noticing a plate of smoked salmon on the counter, I made a passing remark about how much I loved it, but didn’t think anything more about it. Imagine my delight when we arrived at breakfast the next morning to find that Mary had prepared a delicious salmon quiche for us! (Mary was even kind enough to let me have the recipe, and I’ll be sharing it with you next week.)

The lake is just a few steps away down the hill from the house, and if you are in the mood to go out on the water, Red and Mary have a rowboat that you can use.

If you are planning a trip to the Lincoln City area and are looking for a peaceful spot to stay, we highly recommend checking out The Lake House. (Be sure and tell Red and Mary that we sent you!)

CONTACT INFO
The Lake House Bed & Breakfast
2165 NE East Devil’s Lake Road
Otis, Oregon 97367
541.996.8938

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

The Trail Less Traveled: Elowah Falls & McCord Creek Falls {Hike}

October 9 By Renée ♥ 8 Comments

Enjoy both sweeping views and relative solitude on this – the Elowah Falls & Upper McCord Falls Hike –the least-traveled trail on Oregon’s “waterfall road.”

It can be so easy to put off exploring your own backyard. Late this summer, Mr. B, Em and I decided to spend a week camping along the Historic Columbia River Highway at Ainsworth State Park, and take the time to explore Gorge trails so close to home that we often overlook them.

We took our trusty copy of Curious Gorge along with us, which lists over 100 Gorge hikes, and found a number of enticing trails to check out, including this one, which I’m almost embarrassed to admit I’ve never hiked before. It seems that I’m not alone though: the book’s author, Scott Cook, says that due to its weirdly hard to find parking lot, “Elowah Falls is the most overlooked major waterfall in the entire Gorge.”

I believe him. If you have ever hiked to the top of Multnamah Falls, you probably had a lot a company along the trail. Not so on the Elowah Falls and McCord Falls Hike. I could count the number of people we encountered the entire time we were on the trail on two hands.

The Elowah Falls hike is actually two hikes in one. About .2 miles in, at the second junction in the trail, you can choose to go up to Upper McCord Creek’s twin waterfalls, or down to Elowah Falls. We took the high road first.

A short way into our hike, we encountered a rusty piece of history – this long cast-iron flume pipe running down the hill.

According to Cook, this flume was built circa 1890 by pioneer Myron Kelly, who used it to deliver pressurized water from McCords Upper Twin Falls to his pulp mill down on the river. The pressurized water turned mill wheels that ground cottonwood trees into pulp, which he sold to Camas’ paper mills.

The mile-long trail to McCord Creek Falls makes several switchbacks for an elevation gain of 260 feet. It also passes a basalt wall blooming with wildflowers, and gives you a beautiful view of the Columbia River and Hamilton Mountain across the river in Washington.

If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler making its way up (or down) river.

We stopped at McCord Creek Twin Falls to eat lunch, and Mr. B and Em did a little exploring while I took pictures of the local flora.

After lunch, we returned down the trail to Elowah Falls. The falls are fed by runoff from Mount Hood and, due to our extremely dry summer weather, the 213-foot high waterfall itself was somewhat anticlimactic, but nonetheless lovely, and the spray was quite refreshing after our hot afternoon hike. We’re hoping to take the hike again in early spring when the water is flowing more.

The canyon created by the falls creates a wind tunnel, and as we got close to the falls basin, the wind became strong enough to push the weak waterfall flow sideways.

If you are looking for a great, easy hike, we highly recommend checking out Elowah Falls. From Portland, it makes for a beautiful day trip, and if you are looking to get a little one-on-one time with the people you love along the way, the trail will be all yours.

Hike to Elowah Falls & Upper McCOrd Creak Twin Falls | The Good Hearted Woman

Proof that I was actually on this hike! (Also: Wind)

Hike Info:

Elowah Falls & Upper McCord Falls Hike

Easy-Moderate Hike
.75 miles to Elowah Falls, 1 mile to Upper McCord Falls, and 3.5 miles to do both.
Trail is very well-maintained, but rocky. Wear good shoes.
Pets are OK. Leashes required.

Getting there:

The parking lot really isn’t that hard to find. It’s just that it is situated east of the place your normally return to the highway from the old Historic Highway, and I think people just don’t know it’s there. (All the better for us solitary hikers then, huh?) The trailhead starts in the parking lot of John B. Yeon State Park, making this the most easterly of the Historic Highway’s waterfall hikes.

From the west (30 minutes from Portland)
From Portland, take Hwy 84 east to Ainsworth exit 35. At the stop, turn left, and then immediately right onto Frontage Road. Follow for 2 miles to Yeon State Park (just before the highway entrance).

From the east (30 minutes from Hood River)
Take I-84 west to Warrendale exit 37, Take the exit and go .3 miles, then turn left under the bridge. Take another left onto Frontage Road and head east for .3 miles to Yeon State Park (just before the highway entrance).

Resources: Curious Gorge [2013 edition], by Scott Cook [←affiliate link]

An InLinkz Link-up

Mosier Twin Tunnels {Hike}

February 27 By Renée ♥ 6 Comments

We decided to wrap up our Valentine’s weekend trip to Hood River by stretching our winter-weary hiking legs with a trip up to see the historic Twin Tunnels just west of Mosier, Oregon. Really more of a stroll than a hike, this short 1.1 mile jaunt (one way, from the Mosier-side trail-head) offers some fabulous views of the Columbia River Gorge.

Once an important link in the scenic Columbia River Highway, the Mosier Twin Tunnels were constructed between 1919 and 1921. From the beginning, the tunnels and the nearby cliffs presented a trouble spot on the historic highway: rockfalls were common and accidents happened frequently. Eventually abandoned in 1955 after the completion of Highway I-84, the tunnels were soon filled in with rubble and forgotten.

Eastern Portal – Mosier Twin Tunnels

Then, in the 1980’s, interest in restoring the old historic highway began to develop. In 1995, with help of longtime Oregon Senator Mark Hatfield, work was begun to reopen the tunnels for tourist use. Rubble was removed from inside the tunnels, the walls were rebuilt, and the road was completely resurfaced.

The twin tunnels were reopened in July 2000 for bicycle and foot traffic, and are now part of the 4.6-mile-long “Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.”

The hike itself is mostly flat, with just a slight elevation change, and paved, making it a smooth ride for cyclists and wheelchair hikers.

I don’t know if it is always this way, but on the day we went, cyclists outnumbered walkers nealry two to one.

Hiking in from the Mosier side, the trail soon comes to the edge of the Gorge and turns west. Here, you’ll walk past stone guardrails and look down to a great view of Eighteen Mile Island, known locally as Chicken Charlie Island.

This 10-acre island, once owned by one Charles Reither, was significantly larger before the completion of Bonneville Dam in 1937, and was home to a chicken ranch and a small railroad. It is now the only privately owned island in the Columbia River Gorge.

Just over a half mile into the hike, a beautiful new stone-walled lookout has been built over the Columbia River, and a short distance past the lookout is the east portal of the east tunnel. The entrance to the Eastern Portal has been restored to very much the same as it was nearly 100 years ago (pavement and cement curbs notwithstanding).

The second tunnel has two windows, known as adits, looking out over the river. There are steps that once led to viewpoints, but these are now blocked to the public. They make for some cool images though.

Beyond the tunnels, the trail continues another 3.5 miles to the Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead, near Hood River.

When we took this hike in mid-February, we were already finding the first signs of spring!

This hike was a beautiful way to end our weekend, and a great way to kick off the hiking season here in the Pacific Northwest. Hopefully we will see you on the trail soon!

Getting there:
Mark O. Hatfield East Trailhead: (Starting from the Mosier side – 1.1 miles to Twin Tunnels)
From I-84 take Exit 69/Mosier. Follow the Historic Columbia River Highway as it curves left toward the town of Mosier. At the base of the bridge, turn left and circle under the bridge. Drive approximately 1 mile to the trailhead parking lot, which is clearly marked on the left. The actual trailhead is about a football field away from the parking lot.

Mark O. Hatfield West Trailhead: (Starting from the Hood River side – 3.5 miles to Twin Tunnels)
From I-84 take Exit 64/Highway 35, White Salmon & Government Camp. After exiting, turn right at the stop sign and then make another right turn. Head up for 0.4 miles to a four-way intersection and turn left toward the Historic Highway State Park. Wind up the hill for 1.2 miles and turn left into the parking area at Mark O. Hatfield Western Trailhead.

For more information on hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, visit:

Friends of the Gorge
Curious Gorge – This is a limited online version of the book by the same name, listing 109 different Gorge hikes. In an effort to encourage readers to purchase the actual book, specific hike info is blacked out on this site, but it still gives you a lot of history about each hike, some lovely images, and a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Cascade Ramblings – Nice maps and hike basics here.

Hood River BnB {Hood River, Oregon}

February 23 By Renée ♥ 9 Comments

An Inspiring Destination.

A year ago, Mr. B. and I hatched a dream – in our second life, we are going to open a Bed & Breakfast. And though it is likely more than a decade away, even now we often stay up late on weekends imagining and planning – acoustic instruments hanging on the walls of a well-lit great room, musical meet-ups and house concerts in the evenings, savory-sweet smells wafting through the house in the morning. Oh, we know it will be plenty of hard work too, and we are prepared for that, but we are so excited about the people we will meet and the possibilities we will discover – the whole of it is a perfect fit for us.

It all started last Valentine’s Day when we stayed for the first time at the Hood River BnB.

The Hood River BnB is not one of your fancy, European-style Bed & Breakfast establishments: it has an easy-going Northwest vibe and is completely devoid of pretense. Beautifully appointed without being fussy, you will feel welcome and at home from the moment you walk through the front door.

The front room feels warm, open and inviting.

There are no TVs in the rooms, but if you must watch, the television in this cozy anteroom will meet your media needs.

The Hood River BnB has four guest rooms in all. Mr. B and I like to stay in the biggest – The Sky Room. Airy and full of light, the Sky Room has a reading nook and a great view of the river. It boasts a large private bath with a Jacuzzi tub/shower, a huge walk-in closet, and an incredibly comfortable queen bed.

The view from the Sky Room.

Mr. B and I love the privacy of the Sky Room too. We always take our music with us, and the little reading alcove gives us the perfect place to kick back and sing to our hearts content without bothering anyone.

This little library, located on the 2nd floor, is open to all BnB guests. As far as I’m concerned, you just can’t go wrong with a place that keeps a vintage Underwood on the selves.

Other rooms include the Mountain and the River Room – both with great views of Mt. Adams and the Columbia River – and the Sun Room, which has a large connected sun and reading room.

Breakfast is offered in three waves. Sign up for the early bird session and you might not see the innkeepers, but they will make sure you have something delicious to start your day.

The Hood Breakfast offers those rising after 7:30 a family-style breakfast that might include such taste-tempters as Jim’s whole-wheat crepes (our favorite!!), omelets with your choice of fillings, French-toast, or a Hood scramble. Secret-recipe granola and locally grown fruit are always on hand as well.

Mr. B and I love this part of our stay: it is the one time we get to meet the rest of the guests and share a little friendly conversation.

There is even a breakfast for the “Sleepy-Hoods.” (You know who you are.) You never have to worry about the “end-of-breakfast” because no matter how late you sleep in, there will be something waiting for you.

We spotted this little guy out the window during breakfast. (I think he is a Western Scrub Jay.)

You can catch a view of Mount Adams from the breakfast room.

The BnB is within easy walking distance of downtown Hood River, and there is something nearby for everyone. Dozens of hiking trail-heads, wind-surfing, wine-tasting, river walks, antiques, and the best brick-oven pizza we have ever had are just minutes away.

But it wasn’t the ambiance, or the great food, or the fantastic location, or even the VW Microbus poster in the breakfast room that inspired our dream – it was our hosts, innkeepers Jane and Jim.

When you arrive at the Hood River BnB, Jane and Jim welcome you like family. Intelligent, personable, and easy-going, they like to chat for a few minutes as they introduce you to the house, all the while getting a feel for what you want out of your stay. They are naturally adept at striking just the right chord between friendly interaction and respect for your privacy.

Jane runs the day-to-day business of the BnB, while Jim splits his time between the BnB and his aerial agricultural imaging work. With California roots (we try not to hold that against them), Jane and Jim opened the Hood River Bnb in 2002, and have now hosted guests from the Pacific Northwest and across the globe, including South America, Australia, Japan, Canada, Africa, New Zealand, India, and all over Europe. Some stay only one night, while others stay a month or more, and many (like us) return year after year.

Jane and Jim keep this cool map on their front room wall: guests can push a pin to mark either their current home or their place of origin.

It was those connections that truly inspired us. Mr. B and I both love meeting people, hearing their stories, and sharing their music. That is a full life, and that is our dream. And it all came from a visit with Jane and Jim of the Hood River BnB. I encourage you to check them out – who knows what they may inspire for you!

This man.

CONTACT INFO
Hood River BnB
918 Oak Street
Hood River, Oregon 97031
541.387.2997
jane(at)hoodriverbnb(dot)com

P.S. When you call, please tell Jane where you read about them!