The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
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Gorge Vistas A Visitor’s Guide to National Forest recreation opportunities in the Columbia River Gorge Welcome to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area National Scenic Area 2 Northwest Forest Pass 8 10,000 Years of History 3 Wildflowers 10 Geologic Tour 4 Campgrounds 11 United States Waterfalls 5 Kids’ Stuff 11 Forest Service Department of Pacific Northwest Agriculture Map & Driving Tour 6 Information Back Cover Region What is a National Scenic Area? Multnomah Falls You may wonder what a National Scenic Area November 17, 1986, President Ronald Reagan residents about the history, culture and natural is. It’s not a National Forest, National Park or signed it into law. resources of the Gorge. In addition, recreation Wilderness. Instead, it is an area where rural development and resource enhancement pro- The National Scenic Area Act has two and scenic resources are protected while com- grams are some of the other projects directed purposes: munity growth and development is encouraged. by the management plan. 1. To protect and provide for the enhancement For many years, the Columbia River Gorge The National Scenic Area is 15 years old of the scenic, cultural, recreational and natural has been the focus of public attention because and still in its youth. Through the manage- resources of the Gorge; and of its unique natural features, its outstanding ment plan, the Columbia River Gorge will be public recreation opportunities and its im- 2. To protect and support the economy of protected for future generations to experience, portant contribution to the Pacific Northwest the Gorge by encouraging growth to occur in enjoy and value. economy. Concern grew over who should existing urban areas and by allowing future Whether you’re from a local area or visiting, economic development you can help in the future management of the outside these areas if it is Columbia River Gorge. For more information compatible with Gorge about the National Scenic Area, refer to the resources. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area The Act called for a Act Public Law 99-663. You can also contact partnership between the National Scenic Area office and the Gorge the USDA Forest Commission (see back cover). Service, the Columbia River Gorge Commis- sion (a bi-state regional planning agency), the states of Oregon and Washington and the six counties with land in the National Scenic Area. The act also called for Looking west from White Salmon inter-agency and tribal manage the Columbia River Gorge and in cooperation and coordination. what way. Not only is the Columbia River The various groups carefully developed a Gorge a natural wonder, it serves as an im- management plan for continued growth of portant transportation corridor and home to recreation and other development opportuni- nearly 72,000 people, industries, businesses, ties while protecting the scenic, cultural and communities, farms and schools. natural resources of the Gorge. The building of A decade ago, the 99th U.S. Congress passed Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA, helped the the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic economy of Skamania County, an area where Area Act creating the 295,000-acre Columbia the timber industry was suffering. The Discov- River Gorge National Scenic Area. On ery Center and Museum educates visitors and World-famous windsurfing 10,000 Years of Tradition Fishing platform Step Back in Time and History For over 31,000 years, the Columbia River The U.S. government and the local tribes Columbia and wintering Gorge has supported flourishing civilizations. signed a treaty in 1855. The tribes had fish- at Fort Clatsop. They re- Evidence of the Folsom and Marmes people, ing rights for thousands of years before the turned upstream the fol- who crossed the Great Continental Divide westward migration of settlers. In the treaty, lowing spring on their from Asia, were found in archaeological digs. they reserved their rights while losing their journey homeward in Excavations at Five Mile Rapids, a few miles lands from conquest and trickery. It is still 1806. The Columbia east of The Dalles, show humans have oc- possible to see American Indians fishing from River Gorge National cupied this ideal salmon fishing site for more platforms with dip nets in the tradition of long Scenic Area is located at than 10,000 years. ago. In addition, ancient petroglyphs and pic- a point in the journey of tographs are still visible on stone walls along the Corps of Discovery where, despite being Ancestors of today’s Yakama, Warm Springs, the Columbia. so close to their goal of the Pacific Ocean, the Umatilla and Nez Perce tribal nations lived Corps made significant observations and had and fished along the river’s banks. Tribes Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their important encounters with the Native people. from all over western North America would Corps of Discovery descended the Columbia At this point in their journey, Lewis & Clark come to this area to trade for dried, smoked River in dugout canoes in the fall of 1805, traveled mostly by river. The numerous rapids salmon. reaching their goal at the mouth of the and falls were hazardous and despite chal- lenges in the Gorge, the Corps of Discovery took time to continue their scientific observa- Where to visit Gorge History tions and described several hundred species of • Maryhill Museum of Art: Exhibits include Indian baskets & stone tools. plants and animals, some for the first time. • Celilo Park: Historic Native American fishing grounds. The Corps of Discovery portaged around these great falls, now under water. The magnificent resources of the Gorge • The Dalles Dam: This area was the center of trade for tribes from the lured explorers and fur traders westward. Plains to the Pacific. Botanist David Douglas and ornithologist • Columbia Hills State Park: Camp site for Lewis & Clark; view petro- John Townsend, “the bird chief,” explored glyphs by appointment only, 509-767-1159. and documented geology, geography, plants • Rock Fort: Lewis & Clark encampment in The Dalles. and animals. When they were in the western region of the Gorge, they recorded they had • Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Wasco County Historical Museum: difficulty sleeping at night because the many Official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Tsagaglalal (She Who Watches) birds in the area were so loud. From reports Area. Includes exhibits, films and special programs in The Dalles. and illustrations of their travel, people’s • Memaloose State Park: Named for the offshore island used by early Indians as a burial ground and curiosity of moving westward developed. described by Lewis & Clark. • Hood River County Historical Museum: Displays of Indian artifacts including Klickitat baskets. In 1843, about 900 people braved the 2,000 • Cascade Locks Marine Park and Historical Museum: At the Cascades of the Columbia, now under mile Oregon Trail to reach the Willamette water, Lewis & Clark observed evidence of a massive landslide that had once blocked the river and Valley. By 1849, approximately 11,500 pio- gave rise to the myth of “The Bridge of the Gods.” neers poured into Oregon, forever changing • Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center: Historic Skamania County and Columbia River exhibits. life in the Columbia Gorge. • Eagle Creek Picnic Area, Campground and Trail: the first campground in the National Forest sys- Remnants of fish wheels, artifacts, petroglyphs tem, Civilian Conservation Corps structures circa 1930s. and pictographs are visible to history buffs, as well • Bonneville Dam Visitor Center and the Fort Cascades Historic Trail: Fish viewing windows, river as Oregon’s first steam locomotives and cultural history, visitor center and trails. influences of Chinese cannery workers. Steam- • Beacon Rock State Park: Point where the Corps first noted the tidal influence of the Pacific Ocean. boats, railroads and highways replaced canoes • Rooster Rock State Park: Lewis & Clark encampment. and rafts, and the Columbia Gorge remains a • Vista House at Crown Point State Park: The original “comfort station” on the Historic Columbia major transportation route through the Cascade River Highway. Mountain Range. Today, the river continues to • Lewis & Clark Recreation Site: The Corps’ hunters explored this area at the mouth of the Sandy River. carry grain, livestock, lumber, fruit and vegetables grown and processed in the Columbia Basin. BEACON ROCK, named by Lewis and Clark in 1805, rises 800 Geologic Tour feet above the Columbia River. Its shear sides exhibit vertical Along the western columnar joint- ing on a large scale. Beacon Rock is actually the erosional remains of an portion of the Historic ancient shield volcano’s plug. At LATOURELL FALLS you can Columbia River Highway see entablature jointing. This is a distinctive jointing pattern found in the Columbia River ROOSTER MULTNOMAH FALLS is the highest wa- basalt flows. Stress, ROCK is part terfall in the Columbia River Gorge with a total produced when lava of a landslide drop of 620 feet. Rapid uplift of this region over cools and contracts, between Crown the last two million years has forced the Colum- causes joints to Point and the bia River to incise the Gorge we see today. form. Columnar rock itself. The However, joints (colonnades) landslide was side streams, are found below possibly trig- like Mult- the entablature. gered by the nomah They were formed Missoula Floods. Creek, did perpendicular to the lower cooling surface and Much of the not have the are beautiful prisms and columns. You can also landslide has erosive power see such jointing at Shepperds Dell, Crown Point been eroded of the Co- and Multnomah Falls. away leaving the lumbia River rock standing and were left BONNEVILLE DAM (Bonneville Land- alone. Rooster behind to slides). 500 to 800 years ago, a large portion Rock is made plunge off the of Table Mountain collapsed and slid into the of the same lava flow exposed at Crown Point, Gorge’s basalt Columbia River.