Hike and Swim at Punchbowl Falls

Lavender Valley is a beautiful 6 acre hidden gem just 30 minutes south of Hood River, Oregon. Drive south on Hwy 35 for 12.6 miles to Woodworth Rd. Turn right/west onto Woodworth Rd. Take Woodworth Rd for 1.5 miles to Alexander Rd. Turn right/north onto Alexander Rd. Take Alexander Rd for 1 mile until you reach Boneboro Rd. Turn right onto Boneboro Rd and Lavender Valley Farm is at the end of t...

This hike starts at the Starvation Creek Rest Area. After parking, head west back along the shoulder of the freeway, where you’ll see a wooden sign stating “Mt. Defiance Trail.” Continue heading west along the abandoned Columbia River Highway. Keep going west as you pass the junction with the Starvation Cutoff Trail (which is what you’ll return on), and you’ll arrive at Cabin Creek Falls. Soon ...

The Starvation Creek Falls drops 141ft down into a naturally formed bowl, cascading past a wooded picnic area and onto the Columbia River. The falls are one of the easiest falls to access in the Columbia River Gorge along with Multnomah Falls, but are far less Crowded. The short 300ft walk from the Starvation Creek State Park parking lot is easily tranversable by anyone and disability accomodat...

The hike along Mt. Defiance Trail to Warren and Lancaster Falls is a great hike if you want to get away from some of the more crowded destinations in the gorge, or just want to catch some shade during the summer. The trail is fairly easy going, though the last 1/4th of a mile to Lancaster Falls is a bit of a leg burner.The hike starts at Starvation Creek State Park. From the parking lot, take t...

Starvation Creek Falls is an impressive 190 ft. waterfall just a few feet from the parking lot. If you don't know it's there, you'll miss it. Keeping walking past the restrooms, away from the trail head to see this beautiful two tiered waterfall. There are a couple of picnic tables near the creek to enjoy a snack before your hike.Most of the loop is pretty easy, except for the first half mile c...

If you know the Columbia Gorge, you know Dog Mountain. It's the ever-rewarding, incredibly challenging, insanely popular, calf burning 6.9-mile hike that attracts hundreds of people every weekend, especially during May-June when the wildflowers are in full bloom.  If you're like me and you hate hiking with crowds, take the steeper route (or better known as the old Dog Mountain trail). The trail...