Troutdale, Oregon: The Gateway to The Gorge
Troutdale is the essential small-town destination for anyone planning a journey through the endless natural experience that is the Columbia River Gorge. Visitors flock here from around the country for the region’s unparalleled outdoor amenities, starting with breathtaking driving tours along the Historic Columbia River Highway, where spectacular waterfalls drop from towering cliffs of volcanic basalt lifting from the surrounding emerald green forest.
As America’s first scenic highway built more than 100 years ago, the Historic Columbia River Highway has been reopened in portions for cars and for pedestrians-only in other stretches. Automobile cruisers can take in breath-taking views at locations like the historic Vista House, the 1926 steel-truss cantilever Bridge of the Gods crossing the Columbia and the many majestic waterfalls like Bridal Veil Falls along the route.
Heading inland on the Infinity Loop adds the majesty of Mt. Hood, Oregon’s tallest mountain and the outdoor activities present in the surrounding wooded landscape.
Troutdale’s new Visitor Center opened in the spring of 2022 in the historic Union Pacific train depot to offer all the information explaining the attributes available in The Gorge, along with necessary resources like recreation passes necessary to complete the trip.
