H

eading east, the Gorge starts to transform from a lush, verdant landscape into something more arid and stark. But what it lacks in towering forests, the dry side of the Gorge makes up for in astonishing wildflower blooms, U-pick farms growing perfectly tart cherries, and ancient hillside petroglyphs.  

Where to Eat

The hillsides around Mosier are perfectly suited for agriculture, due to its warm Mediterranean climate, particularly during the summer—as proof, you can pick your way through peach and cherry orchards in June and July at Evans Fruit Company, Rosedale Fruit Farm, and Root Orchards.

In The Dalles, meanwhile, Big Jim’s Drive-In whips up hearty burgers and prepares nearly everything in-house; the Tacos Tumbras food truck wraps some of the best burritos in the Gorge; and the historic Baldwin Saloon hosts specialty dinners—from its classic chicken alfredo and clam chowder to its new Creole cuisine—in a building that dates from 1876.

Wash it all down with locally crafted beers at Freebridge Brewing—or with wine from Sunshine Mill, housed in a former factory that milled wheat for Cheez-It crackers. Over in Washington, the Maryhill Winery tasting room (pictured at top) pairs its award-winning wines with sweeping views of the Gorge.

Where to Stay

At the western edge of The Dalles sits the comfortable, down-home Cousins Country Inn; enjoy fresh cookies from the lobby and snag one of the rooms with its own fireplace. Fifteen miles south of town, in Dufur, the historic Balch Hotel boasts an on-site eatery serving seasonal dishes. 

Campers, meanwhile, can spend the night at several sun-kissed campgrounds. Memaloose State Park hosts more than 100 sites near Mosier, the well-maintained Deschutes River State Recreation Area offers more than 60 sites near the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers, and the scenic Maryhill State Park has around 72 sites. Fair warning: train and highway traffic can cause long nights for light sleepers.

Where to Play

In Mosier you can walk or bike part of the paved, nine-mile (round-trip) Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail that connects to Hood River. The main attraction on this stretch of former highway, other than those sweeping Gorge views, is a pair of historic passages, the Mosier Twin Tunnels, through the hillside high above the Columbia River.

Ascending from Mosier, the Historic Columbia River Highway twists eastward through vineyards, farms, and forests before descending into The Dalles. Stop at Rowena Crest to see an oft-photographed, U-shaped bend in the highway below—and take your pick of two springtime wildflower hikes: the mostly flat, two-mile round-trip Rowena Plateau loop or the 3.5-mile round-trip hike to McCall Point (open March–October), which gains 1,070 feet and ends in a colorful meadow with dramatic views of Mount Hood.

Once you’ve hit The Dalles, visit the National Neon Sign Museum, which showcases the electric history of neon lights through dozens of buzzing signs from founder David Benko’s personal collection. Nearby, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum traces the region’s rich history—natural, cultural, and otherwise—going back 10,000 years.

Over in Washington, Columbia Hills Historical State Park is home to several miles of hiking trails, lined each April and May by whole hillsides covered in yellow balsamroot, as well as Native American petroglyphs that date back millennia (open April–October) and the historic Dalles Mountain Ranch.

Farther east there’s the opulent Maryhill Museum of Art, showcasing works from around the world, and the Stonehenge Memorial, a full-scale replica of the famous attraction. Just north of Maryhill sits Goldendale Observatory State Park, where kids of all ages can stargaze through one of the nation’s largest telescopes.

Photograph at top courtesy Maryhill Winery