Photo Essay: A Day Trip To The Columbia River Gorge From Portland, Orgeon

Located just 40 minutes outside of Portland, Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge is worth a day trip.

On a recent jaunt to this uber-sustainable destination, I escaped from the city to immerse myself in nature through a hiking trip with First Nature ([email protected]).

Free farmer’s market sampling, foraging, waterfalls, waterfront picnicking, and beer tasting were all part of the fun.

To help you have a similar experience here is a suggested itinerary as well as videos and photos to bring the day to life.

Note: All photos and videos were taken with a Nokia Lumia Icon.

8am: Head to the Portland State University Farmer’s Market, with over 100 stalls of produce, goat milk cheeses, grass-fed meats, artisan hot sauces, organic jams, local wines (there are many Biodynamic wineries in Oregon), lavender-infused honeys, farm-to-fork prepared foods and, my personal favorite, the “Sin Dawg” from Killer Dave’s Bread, a whole grain loaf filled with an unexpected gooey cinnamon roll center.

The best part about this market aside from its impressive size and selection is the free samples. Almost every stall was offering complimentary tastings of their goods. No joke, it is extremely possible to make a full meal out of your tastings (I did).

Another bonus: they have clean public bathrooms! Gather up some goodies at the market and pack them for a picnic. I recommend getting to the market when it opens so you can see all the Portland chefs gathering their goods for the day.

9:30 am: If you haven’t booked a guide you’ll need to rent a car; however, if you booked First Nature they’ll provide transportation. Start driving to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, making your way along the Columbia Gorge Historic Highway and the Columbia Valley Scenic Byway, the first of its kind in the country, built solely for scenic purposes in the early 1900s. Take your time and make stops along the way at the lookout points. One great aerial view of the Columbia River and its surrounds can be had at The Vista House — an observatory along the Columbia River Highway on Crown Point Promontory.

Before you reach the gorge you’ll also pass a number of waterfalls, like Latourell Falls, Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls, the largest falls in Oregon and the country’s second-largest year-round waterfall. Have your camera battery charged for taking photos. At some of the stops, Kieron also helped us forage for wood sorrel, hazelnuts, and salmonberries.

 11am: Once you reach the trailhead — located 2.5 miles east of Multnomah Falls on the Historic Highway — you’ll have a few options in terms of trails. I recommend heading to Triple Falls, a mesmerizing triple waterfall gushing crystal waters.

In my opinion, it’s one of the top hikes in the world and a really fun travel adventure.

During my day trip I connected two different trails — Horsetail Falls Trail (.8 miles) and Triple Falls (1.8 miles) — to make this happen. After crossing over the wooden bridge — video above — you can decide if you want to continue on Horsetail or switch over to see the three side-by-side falls.

12:30pm: Once your hike is complete, it’s time for lunch (although it’s a good idea to also have