The Hood-Columbia Loop Timberline Orchards and Waterfalls

The Hood-Columbia Loop Timberline Orchards and Waterfalls

Mt. Hood is the highest summit in Oregon, and the fourth highest in the Cascades. It features waterfalls, glaciers, and historic Timberline Lodge, built by local artisans during the Great Depression, and featuring the longest ski season in the US. To the north of Mt. Hood is the Hood River Valley. You will get intimate with this area through a visit to Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood, fruit stands in the Hood River Valley, downtown Hood River (your opportunity for lunch and/or alcoholic beverages), and breathtaking stops in the eastern and western Columbia River Gorge (Multnomah Falls included). Your expert guide, with formal background in ecology and natural resources, will teach you about the natural and cultural history of the area, as you drive the Mt. Hood and Historic Columbia River Highway Scenic Byways. Maximum group size of 11. Pickup and drop-off at your hotel.

Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: Mount Hood area Highway 26 & Highway 35., Hood River, OR 97031

Mt. Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano, the highest peak in Oregon, and the fourth highest in the Cascades. Not only is it known for its beauty, visible on the skyline of much of northern Oregon and southern Washington, but it is also the most climbed stratovolcano in the Cascades, easily accessible from Timberline Lodge, which is the only ski resort in the US that is open every month of the year. You will spend 1-2 hours at Timberline Lodge, on the mountain, just below the Palmer Glacier.

Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Timberline Road, Timberline Lodge, OR 97028

This Works Progress Administration project was dedicated by Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1937. It is one of the most unique, and expansive buildings in the State of Oregon, sitting on Mt. Hood above timberline, for utterly sublime views. You can divide your time among interpretive displays, food & drink venues, hiking in summer and snowplay in winter, as you like. The lodge is a National Historic Landmark, and the only ski resort in the US that is open every month of the year.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Draper Girls Country Farm, 6200 Highway 35 Mt. Hood, Parkdale, OR 97041-7752

Depending on the season, we'll stop at this charming orchard store, where you can buy fresh fruit & preserves, pet the cats and goats, and get a spectacular shot of Mt. Hood, weather permitting.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Apple Valley Country Store, 2363 Tucker Rd, Hood River, OR 97031-9687

Depending on the season, we'll stop at this homey country store, who not only sell fruit and preserves, but also homemade pies and huckleberry milkshakes!

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Port of Hood River, 720 E Port Marina Dr, Hood River, OR 97031-2345

Dubbed the "windsurfing capital" of the world, Hood River also has more breweries per capita than any other city in the US, and a plethora of tasting rooms, galleries, boutique shops, restaurants, and cafes. This is where you'll spend your lunch hour.

Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon

The 85-mile (137-km) long Columbia Gorge NSA features waterfalls, mountains, monoliths, terraces, resort towns, vineyards, orchards, the Columbia River, a plethora of birds, and a plant community that changes dramatically between the west and east ends.

Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Rowena Crest Viewpoint, Old Columbia River Scenic Highway Mayer State Park, Mosier, OR 97040

The quintessential photo opportunity for the eastern Gorge.

Duration: 20 minutes

Pass By: Columbia River Highway, State Highway 30 from Troutdale to The Dalles, Troutdale, OR 97060

This 74-mile (123-km) long historic highway was inspired by the Axenstrasse in the Swiss Alps. These days one can no longer drive the entire highway, but we will drive portions of this picturesque, engineering marvel in both the eastern and western gorge, past basalt terraces and waterfalls.

Pass By: Bridge of the Gods, Columbia River Gorge, Cascade Locks, OR 97014

Columbia River crossing for the Pacific Crest Trail, and lowest point on that trail. Named for a Native American legend that explains the local geology.

Pass By: Bonneville Lock & Dam, Cascade Locks, OR 97014-0150

Another National Historic Landmark, Bonneville Dam was the first Public Works Administration dam on the Columbia River, completed in 1938.

Pass By: Bonneville Hatchery, 70543 NE Herman Loop, Cascade Locks, OR 97014-6663

Largest hatchery in the state of Oregon.

Pass By: Elowah Falls, NE Frontage Rd John B Yeon State Park, Cascade Locks, OR 97014

A hidden beauty...watch quickly, or you might miss it!

Pass By: State Route 14 in Beacon Rock State Park, North Bonneville, WA

The fifth largest free-standing monolith in the world. It is an 848-ft (258-m) volcanic plug, composed of columnar basalt, so similar in size and composition to Devil's Tower, Wyoming.

Pass By: Horsetail Falls- Columbia River Gorge, Columbia Gorge, Hood River, OR

Don't miss this quirky waterfall as we pass by!

Stop At: Multnomah Falls, 53000 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Bridal Veil, OR 97010

The tallest waterfall in the state, with a combined height of 620 feet.

Duration: 30 minutes

Pass By: Wahkeena Falls, Columbia River Highway, Troutdale, OR

Another cute waterfall to watch for closely!

Pass By: Crown Point State Park, Not Available, Corbett, OR 97019

Once known as Thor's Hammer, this geological feature towers above, with a crown-shaped building sitting atop, and a waterfall coming down the side.

Pass By: Rooster Rock State Park, Interstate 84 East, Corbett, OR 97019

As we pass by, view the rock that inspired North America's oldest continuously running nudist beach!

Pass By: Sandy River, Oregon

We'll cross the Sandy River between the Columbia Gorge and Willamette Valley. The Sandy's headwaters is a glacier on Mt. Hood, and the river is known for its Steelhead and Chinook runs. As a result, the Sandy is one of three tributaries of the Columbia who's dams have been removed since 2007.