The Columbia River Gorge Travel Council | Page 9

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attractions

Columbia Gorge Discovery
Center & Museum

Des Chutes
Historical Museum

Located in The Dalles, this is the official interpretive center of the Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area. The museum features
artifacts from the Ice Age, the Lewis and
Clark Expedition, and the Oregon Trail as
well as interactive exhibits which bring to life
the cultural and natural history of the area.

Dedicated to the history of Deschutes

For more information, contact:
Columbia Gorge Discover Center
and Museum
5000 Discovery Drive
The Dalles, Oregon 97058
[phone] • www.gorgediscovery.org
Columbia River Gorge
National Scenic Area
Up to 4,000 feet deep, the Columbia River
Gorge extends over 80 miles westward through
the Cascade Range, serving as a natural border between Oregon and Washington. The
gorge began to form between 12 and 17 million years ago. The highly varied elevation
and precipitation throughout the gorge creates diverse ecosystems ranging from temperate rainforests to dry woodlands. The
gorge is a federally protected National Scenic Area managed by the U.S. Forest Service.

County, which encompasses Bend, Redmond, La Pine, Tumalo, Sisters, and Terrebonne, the museum is located inside the
historic Reid School in Bend, Oregon.
The museum contains artifacts from early
explorers and pioneers and offers an audio heritage tour of downtown Bend.
For more information, contact:
Des Chutes Historical Museum
129 NW Idaho Ave.
Bend, Oregon 97701
[phone]
www.deschuteshistory.org
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, estimated to be 11,240 feet at
its peak, is located about 50 miles southeast
of Portland, on the border between Clackamas and Hood River counties. This stra-

tovolcano is considered the most likely to
erupt in Oregon, though an explosive eruption is unlikely. Twelve named glaciers exist
on the mountain. About 10,000 people annually attempt to climb Mount Hood; others trek along the Timberline Trail, a route
built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps that circumnavigates the entire
mountain.
Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls, located on the Oregon
side of the Columbia River Gorge, tumbles
an impressive 620 feet, making it one of the
tallest waterfalls in the nation. Accompanying the waterfall is the famous Multnomah
Falls Lodge which was built in 1925. A
paved trail leads from the lodge to the Simon Benson Bridge, which offers stunning
views of the lower cascade, and zigzags to
the top of the falls. This attractions draws
large crowds on summer weekends, so plan
accordingly.

Crown Point Vista House
© Dennis Kamberg

For more information, contact:
Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area
902 Wasco Street, Suite 200
Hood River, OR 97031
[phone]
www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa
Crown Point Vista House
(Pictured right)
A popular tourist stop on the historic Columbia River Highway, the Vista House was
built in 1916 and is listed on the National
Register of His ѽɥ