The Dalles Riverfront Trail

The Dalles Riverfront Trail is an 8-mile, one-way point-to-point paved route following the Columbia from the east side of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center lot to the east end of The Dalles Riverfront Park. Walkers and cyclists share a broad path, generally 8 to 12 feet wide. The route is mostly level and passes rocky river coves, historic sites, a cruise dock and a sandy shoreline. Allow about 3½ hours on foot. This is a through-route; walking back to your car doubles the distance.

The main path heads east from the Discovery Center. A short westward spur toward Crate’s Point is optional and outside the stored 8 miles. The river appears between basalt ledges and small coves; farther along, a bridge crosses Chenoweth Creek. Around the former smelter grounds, the route bends inland and follows Klindt Drive and River Road before turning back toward the shore through Bargeway Road and West 1st Street. That road-and-industrial section interrupts the riverside stretch, so keep track of the turns instead of expecting an uninterrupted waterfront promenade.

Near the river, Fort Camp marks a Lewis and Clark Expedition campsite, and an expedition journal records local visitors in 1806. Its low stone walls sit above the Columbia, with the opposite shore behind them. Farther east, the path passes the cruise dock and runs along the sandy beach and park shoreline to its eastern end. The beach is a natural stopping point, but continuing on the paved path completes the full route. At Fort Camp, frame the stone walls with the river behind them for a clear sense of the site’s position above the water.

Start at the east end of the Discovery Center lot; Riverfront Park has parking for a pickup near the eastern end. Several street access points let visitors walk shorter sections. Restrooms are available at Pocket Park; the Discovery Center’s facilities belong to the separate museum stop. Benches, bicycle repair stations and dog-waste bags are provided along the route. Most of the path is described as ADA accessible, but the street connectors and full eight miles should not be assumed accessible as one continuous outing. Leashed dogs are allowed and no permit is required. Arrange a ride or allow about 16 miles to retrace the whole route.