Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center

Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center is a public information stop inside Troutdale’s historic rail depot, for visitors heading into the Columbia River Gorge or toward Mount Hood. It opened in 2022 in the building’s original freight-loading area. Stop here to get regional information and choose which places deserve your time; if you already know the route, the center is a quick look rather than a must-see attraction. The historic building gives the stop more interest than a highway information desk.

Inside, look for the restored painting of Multnomah Falls: 10 feet high and 6½ feet wide. The Multnomah Hotel commissioned it more than a century ago for its banquet room. It is an unusually large piece to find in a small-town depot and gives you something tangible to see alongside the local visitor information. The center also sells a small collection of branded merchandise.

Union Pacific built Troutdale’s first depot in 1882. Fire destroyed it, and the depot was rebuilt in 1907. In 1976 the city bought the derelict building from the railroad for $1, restored it, and moved it from north of the tracks to its present site. The visitor center now occupies the original freight-loading side. The Depot Rail Museum is separate, in the former ticket counter and offices in the same building, so treat them as two stops sharing one address.

The center is at 475 E. Historic Columbia River Highway in Troutdale. The Forest Service has also used it as one pickup point for free, limited Multnomah Falls timed-entry permits during permit seasons. Those arrangements and rules can change, so check current permit information before planning around pickup here. If you are already set on your route, save the stop for the depot’s history and the huge waterfall painting.