Beacon Rock, Wahkeena Canyon & Opal Creek Wilderness

A 1.6-mile round-trip switchback trail bolted to the face of an 848-foot volcanic plug rising from the Columbia River — the second-largest monolith in North America after Gibraltar. The trail was built by Henry Biddle between 1915 and 1918 using hand-drilled rock and iron handholds; 52 switchbacks and 23 wooden bridges ascend the sheer south face. The summit view looks directly into the gorge both east and west.

The 1938 New Deal dam that transformed the Columbia River — the fish ladder observation windows allow underwater viewing of chinook, coho, and steelhead salmon migrating upstream during the fall runs (September–November is peak). The Bradford Island Visitor Center documents the dam's construction during the Depression and the river's transformation from wild salmon highway to managed hydroelectric system.

A 9-mile round-trip on the Washington bank of the Columbia Gorge climbing 3,100 feet through old-growth forest to open ridgeline meadows at 3,600 feet — the summit views encompass the full breadth of the Gorge from Mt. Hood south to Mt. Adams north, with the Columbia River visible as a silver thread far below. Less trafficked than the other Gorge summits, the trail passes through a diverse mix of oak savanna, Douglas fir, and subalpine meadow on its ascent.

Stevenson's post-hike institution since 2000, in a converted downtown building on the Washington side — house-brewed ales, reliable pub food, and the outdoor seating that catches the evening light on the Columbia. The Homo Erectus IPA is the flagship; the seasonal rotation draws from Cascade hops grown 30 miles north.

The 5-mile Wahkeena–Multnomah loop begins at the 242-foot tiered cascade of Wahkeena Falls and climbs through old-growth forest to Vista Point before descending past Fairy Falls — a 20-foot veil fall over a moss-covered grotto — to Multnomah Falls from above. The upper trail is quiet even when the base of Multnomah is crowded; the forest between the falls is among the finest old-growth Douglas fir corridor in the Gorge.

The 1925 National Historic Landmark lodge at the base of the 620-foot falls — the Gorge Burger and the salmon chowder are the lunch anchors. The terrace tables face the lower falls directly; arrive before noon to avoid the afternoon rush on the most-visited natural site in Oregon.

A 4.6-mile round-trip climb to a basalt promontory 1,600 feet above the Columbia — the open rock ledge at the summit overhangs a 1,000-foot drop with unobstructed views east toward Crown Point and west into the Portland Basin. The trail is steep but never technical; the summit is windswept and dramatic in all weather.

A brewpub in the small town at the Gorge's western gateway, with a patio above the Columbia and views of the Bridge of the Gods directly overhead. The house beers run to Northwest classics — pale ales, an IPA, and a seasonal saison. The fish and chips are properly done.

The 5.5-mile round-trip to Opal Pool follows the Little North Santiam River through one of the last unlogged old-growth watersheds in the Oregon Cascades — Douglas fir and western red cedar 500 years old, the river running clear over polished bedrock, and Opal Pool itself glowing turquoise from mineral seeps. The trail is flat and well-maintained; the swimming hole at Opal Pool is the destination.

A 1930s gold mining camp at the confluence of Battle Ax Creek and Opal Creek, preserved in place — corrugated rooflines, wood-frame cook shacks, and the company store all intact in the old-growth setting. Day visitors walk through on the way to Opal Pool; the Friends of Opal Creek organization maintains the site as a conservation education facility.

A 3-mile round-trip trail through old-growth forest leads to a collection of hand-hewn cedar soaking tubs filled with 136°F water from a natural hot spring — the tubs, carved in the 1900s and maintained by volunteers, sit in a grove of massive old-growth timber above Nohorn Creek. The hike is flat; the soaking is the entire point. Arrive early to secure a private tub.

A roadhouse in the town of Sandy at the base of Mt. Hood, named for the original Barlow Road — the 1846 toll road over the Cascades that served as the Oregon Trail's final mountain crossing. The kitchen serves honest Pacific Northwest comfort food: burgers, wild salmon, and house-smoked meats in a wood-paneled room that has been feeding timber workers, climbers, and Portlanders heading home from the mountain since the 1940s.