Waterfall · 49 min west
Multnomah Falls
Oregon's tallest waterfall, 620 feet in two tiers, with a bridge across the middle.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Timed-use permit for the I-84 lot in summer (2026: May 22-Sept 7, 9 am-6 pm)
Day Trippin' › Oregon › From Hood River
Day trips from Hood River
Hood River is in the middle of the Columbia Gorge: waterfalls to the west, wildflower bluffs to the east, orchards on the Fruit Loop and Mount Hood to the south. The best day trips from Hood River, by drive time.
61 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Hood River
- Rowena Crest 27 min east
- Multnomah Falls 49 min west
- Beacon Rock State Park 54 min west
- Maryhill Stonehenge 1 hr 3 min east
- Trillium Lake 1 hr 4 min south
- Vista House and Crown Point 1 hr 4 min west
- Timberline Lodge 1 hr 10 min south
- Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge 2 hr 10 min west
- Silver Falls State Park 2 hr 46 min southwest
- Smith Rock State Park 3 hr south
Within an hour from Hood River 18 spots
State park · 54 min west
Beacon Rock State Park
A switchback trail up a huge rock core over the Columbia River.
- 2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round
- Discover Pass
Viewpoint · 27 min east
Rowena Crest
A loop road and plateau with spring wildflowers above the eastern Gorge.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Spring wildflowers
- No pass or fee needed
Town · 31 min west
Cascade Locks
A small river town at the Bridge of the Gods, with sternwheeler cruises.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- None; cruise extra
State park · 46 min east
Columbia Hills State Park
Petroglyphs and the She Who Watches rock image, with guided tours.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Spring wildflowers; year-round
- Discover Pass
Town · 35 min east
The Dalles
Murals, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and dry-side sunshine.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Museum admission
Trail · 41 min northeast
Catherine Creek
Easy paths through spring wildflowers and a rock arch in the eastern Gorge.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- March-May
- No pass or fee needed
Town · 41 min west
Stevenson and the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center
A river town with a brewery and a museum of the Gorge's history.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Museum fee
1 to 2 hours from Hood River 17 spots
Historic site · 1 hr 3 min east
Maryhill Stonehenge
A full-size concrete Stonehenge built as a WWI memorial.
- 30 min · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Historic lodge · 1 hr 10 min south
Timberline Lodge
A 1930s stone and timber lodge high on Mount Hood, with year-round snow above.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Sno-Park permit Nov 1-Apr 30
Lake · 1 hr 4 min south
Trillium Lake
A small lake with the classic reflection of Mount Hood and an easy loop trail.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Summer-fall; snowshoe in winter
- Day-use fee May-Nov (annual NW Forest Pass accepted, other passes not); Sno-Park permit in winter
Viewpoint · 1 hr 4 min west
Vista House and Crown Point
A stone observatory high above the Columbia River at the start of the waterfall road.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Park · 1 hr 30 min west
Vancouver Waterfront
A riverfront park with a cable-stayed pier, restaurants and wine bars.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- None; paid parking
Park · 1 hr 33 min west
Washington Park
The Japanese Garden, the Rose Test Garden, the zoo and Hoyt Arboretum in one hilltop park.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round; roses May-Sept
- Garden and zoo admission; paid parking
Waterfall · 1 hr 1 min west
Latourell Falls
A short walk to a falls dropping over yellow-green lichen-covered basalt.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Museum · 1 hr 3 min east
Maryhill Museum of Art
A mansion museum on a bluff above the river with Rodin pieces and gardens.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Mid-March to mid-November
- Entry fee
2 to 3 hours from Hood River 23 spots
State park · 2 hr 46 min southwest
Silver Falls State Park
The Trail of Ten Falls, including a path behind 177-foot South Falls.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
State park · 3 hr south
Smith Rock State Park
Towering rock walls above the Crooked River, a top climbing spot with river trails for everyone.
- Half day · Easy to hard
- Year-round; summer is hot
- Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit
Wildlife refuge · 2 hr 10 min west
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
Drive or walk past wetlands full of ducks, cranes and herons.
- 2 hrs · Easy
- Fall-spring
- Refuge entrance fee or America the Beautiful pass (Discover Pass not accepted)
Town · 2 hr 14 min northeast
Toppenish murals
Dozens of outdoor murals of the town's history.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Museum · 2 hr 22 min southwest
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
The Spruce Goose and a space wing, plus a water park with a plane on the roof.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Viewpoint · 2 hr 50 min south
Peter Skene Ogden and Crooked River Gorge
A 300-foot-deep gorge spanned by highway and railroad bridges.
- 30 min · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Farm · 2 hr 2 min west
Sauvie Island
Farms, U-pick berries, pumpkin patches and river beaches minutes from downtown.
- Half day · Easy
- Summer-fall
- ODFW Wildlife Area Parking Permit; a separate Sauvie Island Beaches Parking Permit is needed at Walton, Collins and North Unit beaches on summer weekends and holidays
Waterfall · 2 hr 3 min northwest
Lewis River Falls
Wide, stepped waterfalls along a forest trail.
- 1-3 hrs · Easy
- Spring-fall
- NW Forest Pass
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 97031 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.