Adventure Awaits: 12 Unforgettable Hood River, Oregon Things to Do in

I love Oregon. I’ve been able to explore a fair amount of the Beaver State, but there’s definitely more. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was at the TOP of my list. (Now, it’s Bend!) When I had the opportunity to plan a bachelorette trip for one of my very best friends who loves nature and wine: Hood River, Oregon was at the top of the list!!

We had the best time, and there was so much more to the area than we expected. I did a ton of research to plan the ultimate trip, and there were so many things to do in Hood River, Oregon. But I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.

How To Get To Hood River From Portland

The easiest way to get to Hood River is by flying into the Portland International Airport. The one with the famous carpet. Hood River is only about an hour (really 60 minutes) drive from the airport.

We traveled with 5 people all coming from all different places. Plus the bride and I decided to fly in earlier to spend some time in Portland! So we had everyone fly in at the best time that worked for them on a set day, and everyone met at our Portland Airbnb before heading to Hood River.

You can get to Hood River by shuttle, bus, train or car. We chose a rental car, and I highly recommend it. It was the MOST beautiful drive. Pop on this playlist, and hit the road! Seriously, this playlist is the perfect accompaniment to the drive. The vibes were high in the car.

If you don’t want to drive, here are your options: Columbia Area Transit (CAT), Greyhound Bus, and Amtrak. You could also use Lyft, Uber or Hood River Taxi, but for me, you might as well rent a car at that point.

Having a car while you’re in Hood River gives you freedom to explore Hood River and the surrounding areas. Plus you can make stops along the way like Multnomah Falls, Horsetail Falls, and literally anywhere along the Columbia River Gorge because it’s breathtaking!

Where To Stay In Hood River, Oregon

Now I told you I had some tricks on my sleeve. My group didn’t stay in Hood River. We stayed in a big, but cozy Airbnb across the river in White Salmon, Washington and loved it! And you get to check a different state off your list! It was more affordable than the other options we saw in Hood River, especially a place that had enough space for 5 people that didn’t know each other all that well. (Don’t worry, we were all besties by the end of the trip!)

What I loved about staying in White Salmon was the view of Hood River, plus the little town was super cute with lots to do. Our Airbnb had some beautiful windows overlooking the river. We weren’t even on the river, but still got the good views!

So I’ve got a mix of places to stay in Hood River and the surrounding areas. The only catch if you choose to stay in White Salmon is the toll to cross the bridge, but it wasn’t a huge deal for us!

Hotels in Hood River, Oregon

Columbia Cliff Villas Hotel
Columbia Gorge Hotel & Spa
Westcliff Lodge
Gorge View Bed & Breakfast
Oak Street Boutique Hotel
Best Western Hood River Inn (a good budget option)

Vacation Homes In Hood River, Oregon (& Cabins!)

Vacation Homes in White Salmon, Washington

No matter where you stay, one thing to keep in mind If you’re traveling in summer: double check the weather and see if there’s AC! Summer in the Pacific Northwest is pretty mild so lots of homes weren’t built with central AC!! When we visited back in June 2021, there was a horrible heat wave, and our vacation home only had a window unit. That said, it’s really a year round destination with skiing in the winter through mid March if that’s your thing!

Plus wineries closed and canceled our reservations. We were SO hot, but on the plus side, you’re right on the water so there’s still things to do!

12 Unforgettable Things to Do in Hood River, Oregon

Like I said, there’s so many things to do in Hood River AND the surrounding areas. For me that’s mostly White Salmon because we were only there for a long weekend. But I can’t wait to visit again to explore more of what it has to offer!

1. Explore Downtown Hood River

The downtown area is super cute! There’s lots of different shops, restaurants, ice cream shops and even wine tasting rooms. My favorite spot was the Waucoma Bookstore. It’s been open since 1976, and has a great selection of books, gifts like notebooks and things and games for kids.

I love perusing the staff picks when traveling and visiting an indie bookstore. Sometimes I pick a book I’ve had a list for a while or something I’ve never heard of before. Whatever you pick, it’s a great spot to grab something to read on your balcony or outside along the river.

Other points of interest are: Mike’s Ice Cream (there was a long line, so we couldn’t make it before they closed and make our dinner reservations!) but it looked really good.

Plus tons of shops and stuff along Oak Street like Twiggs, Hood River Stationers, Oak Street Pub and more!

2. Get Panoramic Views at Panorama Point

This is a great spot to watch the sunset! You can see across Hood River Valley from Mount Hood to Mount Adams. It’s a super easy drive up so literally anyone can visit. Unfortunately when we went, it was closed.

Don’t tell, but we parked at the entrance – basically just on the side of the road, and walked up. It was a bit of walking in a pair of flimsy sandals because we didn’t know we’d be walking. So definitely look up the hours to ensure it’s open, but the tiny hike was worth it for us.

3. Take A Guided Sunset Kayak Tour on Hood River

My favorite part of our whole trip was a guided kayak tour that we didn’t plan whatsoever. An abnormal heat wave caused temperatures to rise to nearly 120 degrees fahrenheit that caused many of the nearby wineries to close for the day that made us pivot.

We booked a last minute sunset kayak tour, and it was literal magic. The tour launched from a boat ramp, took us down the river, under a bridge and to a side river surrounded by beautiful trees.

There was a small “beach” area that we were able to get out of our kayaks to swim. The water was freezing, but felt so great in the heat. They advised us to bring water and snacks, but this was a bachelorette party! We packed some beers from a local brewery, and it was just so fun.

Our guide was great, and we had a really great time. The views of the gorge from the water are unbelievable. You can choose between a single or double kayak. My friend and I chose the latter, and had so much fun. We were the only ones and were racing ahead of everyone.

There’s also tons of water sports in Hood River like kitesurfing, water rafting, paddleboarding and more!

4. Go Brewery Hopping

It’ll come as no surprise that Oregon has good beer, and Hood River is no different. We visited quite a few breweries. Ferment Brewing had a wonderful patio with amazing views of the river. The brewery itself was beautifully decorated and the vibes were really good.

A little busy, but we were able to snag a table for a group of 5. There were a lot of fruity beers plus kombucha, cocktails, wines, ciders and mocktails.

Everybody’s Brewing was another favorite. It’s in White Salmon, and the beers were so good. I’m pretty sure it’s what we brought with us on the kayaks. The food was good too! The menu felt a little sports bar-ish with some exceptions like burritos and a gyro, but no complaints! I liked the Early Riser Easy IPA!

Also add Full Sail Brewing, Pfriem Family Brewers, Double Mountain Brewery and Crush Cider Café to your list!

PS if you love beers, you should also consider another trip to Bend, Oregon! They have so many fantastic breweries, plus tons of really cool outdoor adventures like caving, snow shoeing, etc.

5. Eat (& Drink!) Something Good

While I love booking a vacation home, and getting groceries to avoid eating out the whole time, there are some great eats in Hood River! My friend is a breakfast lover like myself so that was a priority on our trip, but here is where to eat in Hood River.

Kickstand Coffee & Kitchen
Bette’s Place
Solstice Wood Fire Pizza
Grasslands Barbecue (As Texans, my friends and I were hesitant about this one so we didn’t make it!)
3 RiversGrill
Riverside
Boda’s Kitchen
Celilo Restaurant & Bar
Pine Street Bakery

Some of the best restaurants in Hood River require a reservation. That’s why we missed out on a few, so be sure to check ahead of time, especially if you’re traveling during the busy summer season.

6. Go Wine Tasting

This was the primary reason we were in Hood River. There’s a few different wine regions in Oregon we were considering, but the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge was too perfect – no regrets!

This is the short list of wineries we wanted to visit, but as you read before, we were only able to visit one due to the heat wave. That was Savage Grace Wines! They kept our reservation, and seated us in the room where they stored their wine. So fun!

Plus they had an amazing view of the Gorge. We only took a quick few snaps outside though – it was hot!!

Cor Cellars (I booked a tent for our group, and was so sad when it was canceled, so please go on my behalf!)
Hiyu Wine Farm (They were booked when I tried to make a tasting reservation, so be sure to do it early!)

These have tasting rooms in Downtown Hood River:

7. Relax & Soak In The Views

You could visit Hood River, Oregon and do absolutely nothing. Just pick a nice spot like the Hood River Waterfront Park or the Hood River Event Site to soak in the views. But take it a step further with a visit to the spa. I booked a massage and spa experience on my most recent vacation, and it’s now something I want to do for EVERY trip I take.

Columbia River Gorge Hotel & Spa, The Society Hotel’s Spa and Bathhouse in Bingen and Spa Remedease are all great options. I looked into going to The Society Hotel, but it didn’t fit the itinerary.

Another good way to relax and romanticize your life? The Hood River Farmers’ Market – grab some fresh produce and listen to local live music.

8. Take A Hike (Or Two!)

Hiking and wine were the two things that brought us to Hood River Oregon, but the heat wave took away. We ended up skipping all the hiking because it was just too hot, and our group weren’t morning people. But there are tons of cool hikes around Oregon along with other secret hidden gems that I want to try next times!

These are the hikes I researched, and felt were good options for a group of varying levels of physicality.

Mosier Plateau Trail: a moderate out and back 2.9 mile hike with really pretty views of the gorge!
Hood River Mountain Loop: a moderate to difficult 4.4 mile hike with mountain views.
Starvation Creek Falls: despite the name, this is a short and easy 0.2 mile walk to see waterfalls.
Tamanawas Falls Trail: an easy to moderate out and back 3.4 mile trail with only a 580 elevation gain and as the name entails, more waterfalls!
Mitchell Point Trail: I think I remember this being one of the best views of the Columbia River Gorge, but it’s closed at time of publishing. The site said it would be closed until 2023, so keep an eye out if it opens for Summer 2024! It says it’s easy, but with a distance of 2.6 miles and elevation gain of 1,300 feet, I would say it’s more so moderate to difficult.

9. Join/Schedule A Yoga Class

I don’t want to toot my own horn, but I plan a great bachelorette. Not the kinds in Vegas where you’re bar hopping and dancing the night away, but if the bride is looking for a relaxing getaway with activities they love, I’m your gal.

My friend and bride (at the time) is a HUGE yogi so I knew we had to book a yoga session. At first, I wanted to just join a class at Yoga Samadhi Columbia Gorge, but I couldn’t find a class that fit our schedule. Like I said earlier, this group was not morning people.

So I opted for a private yoga class with Lauren Pisano, and I HIGHLY recommend it. It was a great flow, and we all really loved it. I just messaged her on InstagSome other good studios in the area are: Flow Hood River, Machi Yoga and Gorge Yoga.

Our session was outside in a park, and was so relaxing. It’s a great way to end a trip so you head home relaxed and loosened up so you’re able to sit on a plane for a bit.

10. Explore White Salmon

Like I mentioned above, we stayed in White Salmon so we were able to explore a bit more of the cute little town. If you have the time to get outside of Hood River, add it to your itinerary! My favorite spot was the White Salmon Baking Company!

Fair warning, it gets BUSY and they sell out of the good stuff fast. I got up early with a couple of the girls to get in line. Seriously, we got there BEFORE it opened and there was a line. It was insane!

But we were lucky! We got a huge box of pastries for that morning, and the next plus some good coffee. It was a highlight of our whole trip!

The downtown area is fairly walkable, but here’s a snapshot of places to explore and grab something to take home to remember your trip to the Columbia River Gorge:

11. Tour The Hood River Fruit Loop

A self-guided rural farm loop where you can visit 28 different on-the-farm fruit stands, wineries, breweries, cideries and flower or lavender fields. How fun is that?! It’s a 35-mile loop so you definitely need a car! But it sounds so much fun!.

The u-pick harvest season is runs from June to October where you can pick strawberries, cherries, apples, blueberries, peaches, pears and more!

12. Ski At Mount Hood

I’ve never been skiing, and not sure I ever will. I’m clumsy enough on flat land, but if I were to go, Hood River seems like a good place to do it. Mt. Hood Meadows is a popular spot! I would probably only last one hour before I head inside to read by the fire.

Now that I’m done with this guide, I really want to plan my next trip to Oregon and visit the Columbia River Gorge again. If you’ve been or even better are a local, please let us know if there’s anything I missed in the comments.

I only visited for a few days, and I’m sure you can stay much longer with still so much more to do. Like an e-bike tour of Hood River?! I rented an e-bike recently and I’m obsessed so maybe I’ll add it to my list of travel traditions as I travel the United States.

Feel free to DM me on Instagram @taylormgrantham too if you have questions or wanna chat about Hood River!