The Columbia River Gorge is a

canyon A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the

Deschutes River Deschutes River may refer to: *Deschutes River (Oregon) The Deschutes River in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many ...

(and the towns of

Roosevelt, Washington Roosevelt is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Klickitat County, Washington, Klickitat County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 156 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, up ...

, and

Arlington, Oregon Arlington is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The city's population was 586 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census and has a 2019 estimate of 591. History The account of how the city received its n ...

) in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the water gap furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. It is thus that the routes of Interstate 84, U.S. Route 30, Washington State Route 14, and railroad tracks on both sides run through the gorge. A popular recreational destination, the gorge holds federally protected status as the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and is managed by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...

Description

The Columbia River,

Klamath River The Klamath River (Karuk: ''Ishkêesh'', Klamath: ''Koke'', Yurok: ''Hehlkeek 'We-Roy'') flows through Oregon and northern California in the United States, emptying into the Pacific Ocean. By average discharge, the Klamath is the second larges ...

northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

Pit River The Pit River is a major river draining from northeastern California into the state's Central Valley. The Pit, the Klamath and the Columbia are the only three rivers in the U.S. that cross the Cascade Range. The longest tributary of the Sacr ...

in northern California, and

Fraser River The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Blackrock Mountain in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia just south of the City of Vancouver. The river's annual d ...

in southern British Columbia are the only four rivers connecting the watersheds on the east side of the

to the Pacific Ocean. Each river has carved out a gorge through the Cascades. The Columbia River Gorge marks the state line between Oregon and Washington, and its wide range of elevation and precipitation makes it an extremely diverse and dynamic place. Ranging from to sea level, and transitioning from of precipitation to only in , the gorge provides the setting for a diverse collection of ecosystems, from the

temperate rain forest Temperate rainforests are coniferous or broadleaf forests that occur in the temperate zone and receive heavy rain. Temperate rain forests occur in oceanic moist regions around the world: the Pacific temperate rain forests of North American Paci ...

on the western end—with an average annual precipitation of —to the eastern grasslands with average annual precipitation between , to a transitional dry woodland between Hood River and The Dalles. Isolated

micro-habitats In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

have allowed for many species of endemic plants and animals to prosper, including at least 13 endemic wildflowers. Bridal Veil Falls, October 2020

The gorge transitions between temperate rainforest to dry grasslands in only , hosting a dramatic change in scenery while driving along Interstate 84. In the western, temperate rainforest areas, forests are marked by bigleaf maples,

Douglas fir The Douglas fir (''Pseudotsuga menziesii'') is an evergreen conifer species in the pine family, Pinaceae. It is native to western North America and is also known as Douglas-fir, Douglas spruce, Oregon pine, and Columbian pine. There are three va ...

, and western hemlock, all covered in

epiphyte An epiphyte is an organism that grows on the surface of a plant and derives its moisture and nutrients from the air, rain, water (in marine environments) or from debris accumulating around it. The plants on which epiphytes grow are called phoroph ...

s. In the transition zone (between Hood River and The Dalles), vegetation turns to

Oregon white oak ''Quercus garryana'' is an oak tree species of the Pacific Northwest, with a range stretching from southern California to southwestern British Columbia. It is commonly known as the Oregon white oak or Oregon oak or, in Canada, the Garry oak. It ...

, ponderosa pine, and cottonwood. At the eastern end, the forests make way for expansive grasslands, with occasional pockets of lodgepole and ponderosa pine. Atmospheric pressure differentials east and west of the Cascades create a wind tunnel effect in the deep cut of the gorge, generating winds that make it a popular windsurfing and kiteboarding location. It also creates the right conditions for snow and ice storms during the winter months which also draw very cold east winds toward the mouth of the gorge on the west end. The gorge is a popular destination for hiking,

biking Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

sightseeing Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mor ...

, fishing, and water sports. The area is known for its high concentration of waterfalls, with over 90 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone. Many are along the Historic Columbia River Highway, including the notable Multnomah Falls. Trails and day use sites are maintained by the Forest Service and many Oregon and Washington

state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...

Geology

The Columbia River Gorge began forming as far back as the Miocene (roughly 17 to 12 million years ago), and continued to take shape through the Pleistocene (2 million to 700,000 years ago). During this period the

was forming, which slowly moved the Columbia River's delta about north to its current location. Although the river slowly eroded the land over this period of time, the most drastic changes took place at the end of the last ice age when the Missoula Floods cut the steep, dramatic walls that exist today, flooding the river as high up as Crown Point. This quick erosion left many layers of volcanic rock exposed.

Ecology

The Columbia River Gorge is home to a number of plant species that are endemic or found mostly in the gorge and surrounding areas, including ''

Heterotheca villosa ''Heterotheca villosa'', called the hairy goldenaster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae found in central and western North America. Description The plant grows to in height and the leaves are in average length. Bloomi ...

'', '' Lomatium columbianum'', ''Lomatium klickitatense'', ''

Lomatium suksdorfii ''Lomatium suksdorfii'' (Suksdorf's desertparsley) is a perennial herb of the family Apiaceae that grows in Washington and Oregon, United States. It is 50–200 cm tall, glabrous, caulescent, and has a taproot. It flowers from late Ma ...

'', ''

Penstemon barrettiae ''Penstemon barrettiae'' is a species of flowering plant in the plantain family known by the common name Barrett's beardtongue or Barrett's penstemon. It is endemic to a small part of the Pacific Northwest of North America.

'', and '' Primula poetica''.

History

The gorge has supported human habitation for over 13,000 years. Evidence of the

Folsom Folsom may refer to: People * Folsom (surname) Places in the United States * Folsom, Perry County, Alabama * Folsom, Randolph County, Alabama * Folsom, California * Folsom, Georgia * Folsom, Louisiana * Folsom, Missouri * Folsom, New Jersey * ...

and

Marmes The Marmes Rockshelter (also known as (45-FR-50)) is an archaeological site first excavated in 1962, near Lyons Ferry Park and the confluence of the Snake and Palouse Rivers, in Franklin County, southeastern Washington. This rockshelter is remar ...

people, who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia, were found in

archaeological dig In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

s. Excavations near Celilo Falls, a few miles east of The Dalles, show humans have occupied this salmon-fishing site for more than 10,000 years. The gorge has provided a transportation corridor for thousands of years. Native Americans would travel through the gorge to trade at Celilo Falls, both along the river and over Lolo Pass on the north side of

Mount Hood Mount Hood is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the Pacific coast and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located about east-southeast of Portlan ...

. In 1805, the route was used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to reach the Pacific. Early European and American settlers subsequently established steamboat lines and railroads through the gorge. Today, the

BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is one of the largest freight railroads in North America. One of seven North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 35,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and nearly 8,000 locomotives. It has three transcontinental routes that ...

runs freights along the Washington side of the river, while its rival, the Union Pacific Railroad, runs freights along the Oregon shore. Until 1997, Amtrak's ''

Pioneer Pioneer commonly refers to a settler who migrates to previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited land. In the United States pioneer commonly refers to an American pioneer, a person in American history who migrated west to join in settling and dev ...

'' also used the Union Pacific tracks. The Portland segment of the '' Empire Builder'' uses the BNSF tracks that pass through the gorge. The Columbia River Highway, built in the early 20th century, was the first major paved highway in the Pacific Northwest. Shipping was greatly simplified after Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam submerged the gorge's major rapids such as Celilo Falls, a major salmon fishing site for local Native Americans until the site's submergence in 1957. Damaged trees from Eagle Creek fire as seen in May 2023

Damaged trees from Eagle Creek fire as seen in May 2023

In November 1986, Congress made the gorge the second U.S. National Scenic Area and established the

Columbia River Gorge Commission Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region in ...

as part of an interstate compact. The experimental designation came in lieu of being recognized as a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

, which would require the existing industries in towns along the river to relocate. The designation was initially opposed by residents fearing government encroachment, due to restrictions in the plan for items such as building paint colors, and was also opposed by conservationists who feared additional development in the region. In 2004, the gorge became the namesake of the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area, a area located on both sides of the river. In fall 2017, the

Eagle Creek Fire The Eagle Creek Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Columbia River Gorge, largely in the U.S. state of Oregon, with smaller spot-fires in Washington. The fire was started on September 2, 2017, by a 15-year-old boy igniting fireworks durin ...

burned in the gorge for three months, consuming almost . It reached 100% containment on November 30, 2017, but was not yet completely out.

Gallery

References

External links

U.S. Forest Service
- Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Columbia River Gorge Commission''The'' ''Gorge'' Magazine
*
Portland State University Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Collection
��contains research material used to write the book Planning a New West: The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
The River They Saw
Documentary produced by '' Oregon Public Broadcasting'' {{Coord, 45, 42, 17, N, 121, 47, 30, W, display=title, region:US-WA_type:river_source:dewiki Archaeological sites in Oregon Archaeological sites in Washington (state) Valleys of Oregon Valleys of Washington (state) Protected areas of Clark County, Washington Columbia River Protected areas of Hood River County, Oregon Protected areas of Klickitat County, Washington Protected areas of Multnomah County, Oregon National scenic areas Protected areas of Sherman County, Oregon Protected areas of Skamania County, Washington Protected areas of Wasco County, Oregon Mount Hood National Forest Landforms of Clark County, Washington Landforms of Hood River County, Oregon Landforms of Klickitat County, Washington Landforms of Multnomah County, Oregon Landforms of Sherman County, Oregon Landforms of Skamania County, Washington Landforms of Wasco County, Oregon United States Forest Service protected areas Water gaps of Washington Water gaps of the United States