Hit List

The Best Farms and Orchards for Apple Picking near Portland

We’ve narrowed down the region’s autumnal offerings, with great mountain views, kid-friendly vibes, and rare varietals ripe for the picking.

09/04/2025 By Alex Frane and Portland Monthly Staff

Oar You Ready?

Where to Launch a Paddleboard, Kayak, or Canoe Near Portland

Eight gorgeous destinations, all less than two hours away.

06/20/2025 By Molly Allen and Sam Stites

Summer Weekends

A Waterfall-Loving Wine Nerd’s Guide to the Gorge

Follow hikes and swims with skin-contact viognier and stone fruit.

06/13/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Rest Your Head

Where to Stay in the Columbia River Gorge

Historic hotels, micro-cabins with private soaking tubs, and triple-stack bunk rooms await in Portland's backyard.

05/06/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Gone Thriftin’

6 Can’t-Miss Vintage Shops in the Columbia River Gorge

Find perfect statement pieces, midcentury hutches, and Barbies in boxes on the unofficial Gorge vintage trail.

03/03/2025 By Shannon Daehnke

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in October

Celebrate the harvest in Hood River, have fun with fungi in Yachats and Eugene, and cheer on pumpkin regatta paddlers in Tualatin.

09/24/2024 By Portland Monthly Staff

All Aboard

World Champion Paddleboarder Fiona Wylde Wants to See You on the Water

With three world titles under her belt, the Hood River local doubles down on community, with free paddle lessons in July and August.

06/14/2024 By Molly Allen Photography by Eric Duran Gazquez

Trails

Hike of the Month: Mosier Plateau by Transit

Thanks to the CAT bus, you don’t need a car to get to this wildflower standby in the Columbia River Gorge. Bring a bike along and hit the Mosier Twin Tunnels or a winery while you’re there.

04/27/2023 By Margaret Seiler

Family Fun

6 Lessons Learned from Snowshoeing with a Baby

Simple advice for keeping your little adventurer safe, warm, and happy during winter excursions.

02/27/2023 By Sam Stites

Gorge Guide

Where to Eat, Stay & Play in Hood River, White Salmon & Bingen

Separated by a toll bridge, these 3 towns are easy to explore together.

03/17/2022 By Gabriel Granillo and Julia Silverman

Shopping Road Trip

Shop Stops in the Columbia River Gorge

Hood River’s Oak Street and its counterparts in Bingen and White Salmon make these connected Gorge towns a stealth shopping destination.

03/11/2022 By Gabriel Granillo, Margaret Seiler, and Julia Silverman

Real Estate

Property Watch: An Entertainer’s Dream Home near the Gorge

With views like these, it’s a party on top of the world.

02/21/2022 By Melissa Dalton

Sports

These Oregonians Are Ready to Shred at the Beijing Olympics

Tommy Ford, Jacqueline Wiles, Luke Winters, and Sean FitzSimons will be repping the state on the slopes next month.

01/26/2022 By Shannon Daehnke

The Gorgeous Gorge

Pandemic Travel: Researching a Columbia River Gorge Guidebook When the World Is Shut Down

The loneliness of the COVID-era travel writer

02/20/2021 By Matt Wastradowski

Road Trip

Pandemic Travel: Time Warp in the Columbia River Gorge

A mere treat in normal times, a Hood River weekend getaway offers some needed relief in 2020.

11/17/2020 By Jessi Bunch

Winter Getaways

Hood River’s Offseason Keeps Getting Better

A new bouldering gym, Hood River Hotel upgrades, and Ferment’s massive brew operation are reason enough for non-skiers to pay a visit.

02/17/2020 By Benjamin Tepler

Weekend Away

Hood River’s First Climbing Gym is Being Built Inside of a 108-Year-Old Church

Brimstone Boulders will open its doors by January.

12/06/2019 By Benjamin Tepler

Hotel Openings

Get an Eyeful of Society Hotel’s Chic Outpost in the Gorge, Open May 24

Society Hotel Bingen lures with hammocks, bunk beds, and a roomy hot tub and spa with Columbia River views.

05/21/2019 By Kelly Clarke

Smart Travel

ODOT Relaunches Crowd-Pleasing, Crowd-Easing Shuttle to Multnomah Falls

The idea was to reduce traffic on I-84. It's working so well the bus will now run year-round, with extended service to Hood River.

04/17/2018 By Catherine Johnson

All the Apples

Nibble Rare Apples at Rubinette Market’s Harvest Tasting This Saturday

From Mountain Rose to Rubinette’s namesake apple, Providore’s produce dorks offer a chic way to stuff yourself with the best fruits.

10/12/2017 By Kelly Clarke