Sight · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
See the river from a replica sternwheeler’s open deck.
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Cascade Locks Marine Park“You're coming up on Cascade Locks Marine Park, where picnic lawns and a swimming beach sit beside the old river locks.”
Plays as you drive up to Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge is a 145-foot passenger riverboat based at Cascade Locks Marine Park, where it boards sightseeing and dining cruises on the Columbia River. The open-air deck gives a river-level view, and two enclosed decks offer a sheltered place to sit. Trips range from one-hour sightseeing to 4+ hour Bonneville Dam lockage tours; dinner, brunch and sunset cocktail cruises also run on selected dates. Check the sailing calendar first; this is a scheduled cruise, not a walk-up dock.
The boat was built in Hood River and launched in 1983 as a replica of Columbia sternwheelers that worked the river from the 1850s onward. Its paddlewheel is 17 feet across. On board, the river and wooded Gorge slopes become the foreground instead of a view from the road. Two bars serve drinks, snacks and pub fare; dining menus rotate among caterers, so do not plan on a particular item.
Wildlife
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ModerateDry Creek Falls to Herman Creek8.6 mi · 4.8 hr · 0.7 mi awayA basalt waterfall and pinnacles on a longer PCT outing.
ModerateDry Creek Falls via the Pacific Crest Trail4.1 mi · 3 hr · 0.7 mi awayA steady PCT climb ends at a basalt-framed cascade.
ChallengingRuckel Creek Trail #4055.8 mi · 5.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA steep creek climb reaches spring meadows and the Benson Plateau.
ModerateGillette Lake5.3 mi · 3 hr · 2.5 mi awayA forest climb to blue-green water and landslide ponds.
ChallengingTable Mountain from Bonneville Trailhead15.5 mi · 11 hr · 2.5 mi awayA hard climb to sheer cliffs above the Columbia Gorge.
ModerateGreenleaf Overlook7.9 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayFollow the PCT to a mossy perch above the Bonneville Slide.
ModerateBuck Point Trail1.1 mi · 1.5 hr · 2.5 mi awaySteep steps lead to a Gorge river view beneath the powerlines.
ChallengingHerman Creek to Mud Lake18 mi · 11 hr · 2.5 mi awayWaterfalls, old growth, and a high lake reward a full-day climb.
Sight · 0.2 mi awayCascade Locks Marine ParkAn island bridge walk that opens onto Gorge and river views.
Sight · 0.3 mi awayCascade Locks Historical MuseumA lock tender’s house full of Gorge history.
Food · 0.3 mi awayEast Wind Drive-InSave room for the super-tall soft-serve cone.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayBridge of the GodsA steel crossing shared by drivers and Pacific Crest Trail hikers.
Sight · 1 mi awayColumbia Gorge MuseumSee the fishwheel, log truck, and biplane behind Gorge history.
Lodging · 1.2 mi awaySkamania LodgeA wooded Gorge resort with on-site trails, golf and regional dining.Sight · 1.6 mi awayDry Creek FallsA basalt cleft waterfall beside old concrete diversion works.
Campground · 2.5 mi awayEagle Creek CampgroundA shady 1916 campground at the foot of the Eagle Creek Trail.Parkwolf’s Columbia River Gorge ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
