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Length Of The Columbia River (7th longest in the US)
Area Drained By The Columbia River
Average Discharge (2nd Largest In The US)
Maximum Recorded Discharge (1894)
Minimum Recorded Discharge (1937)
Average Width Of River
Average Width Of Valley (Rim To Rim)
Length Of Gorge (Troutdale To The Dalles)
Average Height Of Walls (South Side)
Length Of The Snake (The Columbia's Largest Tributary)
Size Of The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Length Of The National Scenic Area
Gorge Waterfalls
Wildflowers
Wildflowers Only Found In The Gorge
Endangered Species In The Gorge
Annual Visitors To Multnomah Falls
Number Of Hiking Trails In The National Scenic Area
Number Of State Parks & Recreation Areas
Number Of Urban Areas In The Gorge
Approximate Number Of Residents In The Gorge
Time Period Of The Carving Of The Columbia Gorge
High Water Points Of The Great Floods
Maximum Elevation Of Walls

1243 miles
259,000 square miles
194,600 cubic feet per second
1,240,000 cubic feet per second
37,000 cubic feet per second
1 mile
3 miles
75 miles
1500-3000 feet
Over 1000+ miles long
295,000 acres
85 miles
75
800 species
13
24
4 million
54
21
13
70,000
12,000 years ago
400 feet above Crown Point (Vista House)
4000 feet (Benson Plateau)
4960 feet (Mt. Defiance)
3400 feet (Table Mountain)

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Length Of The Columbia River (7th longest in the US)Area Drained By The Columbia RiverAverage Discharge (2nd Largest In The US)Maximum Recorded Discharge (1894)Minimum Recorded Discharge (1937)Average Width Of RiverAverage Width Of Valley (Rim To Rim)Length Of Gorge (Troutdale To The Dalles)Average Height Of Walls (South Side)Length Of The Snake

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Physiography and hydrology

The Columbia drains some 258,000 square miles (668,000 square km), of which about 85 percent is in the northwestern United States. Major tributaries are the Kootenay, Snake, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Okanogan, Yakima, Cowlitz, and Willamette rivers. High flows occur in late spring and early summer, when snow melts in the mountainous watershed. Low flows occur in autumn and winter, causing water shortages at the river's hydroelectric plants.

The Columbia flows from its source in Columbia Lake, at an elevation of 2,700 feet (820 metres), in British Columbia near the crest of the Rocky Mountains, to the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon. For the first 190 miles (305 km), its course is northwesterly. It then flows to the south for 270 miles (435 km) to the border of Canada and the United States (elevation 1,290 feet [390 metres]), where it enters northeastern Washington. It traverses east-central Washington in a sweeping curve known as the Big Bend, its prehistoric course having been disarranged first by lava flows and later by ice sheets. The ice sheets were instrumental in creating the Channelled Scablands, a series of coulees (steep-walled ravines) trending northeast-southwest in the northern part of the Columbia Plateau; Grand Coulee is the largest of these. The scablands were formed as immense torrents of water, released intermittently from ice-dammed lakes upstream, swept down-valley. Shortly below the confluence with the Snake River, its largest tributary, the Columbia turns west and continues 300 miles (480 km) to the ocean as the boundary between Oregon and Washington; in this last stretch the river has carved the spectacular Columbia River Gorge through the Cascade Range.

Tides flow upriver for 140 miles (225 km). Portland, Oregon (about 110 miles [180 km] from the mouth), and Vancouver, Washington (100 miles [160 km]), are the upper limit of oceangoing navigation, aided by a dredged channel. Through the use of a series of locks, barge traffic is made possible to Lewiston, Idaho, more than 460 miles (740 km) inland from the river's mouth at the junction of the Clearwater and Snake rivers.

Climate

The Columbia River basin's climate, strongly affected by orographic influences, is partly continental and partly marine. The Rocky Mountains to the east block out most of the severe winter storms of the interior of the continent, and the Cascade Range to the west shields the basin from moist Pacific Ocean air. Summers are typically hot and dry with only occasional thundershowers; winters are moderately cold and dry with occasional snow or even rain. Temperature and precipitation vary greatly with elevation, but in the central basin January average daily temperatures are between about 25 and 30 °F (−4 and −1 °C), and July averages are mostly between 70 and 75 °F (21 and 24 °C). Average annual precipitation ranges from less than 8 inches (200 mm) at the lowest elevations to about 15 inches (380 mm) near the mountain foothills and 40 inches (1,000 mm) or more in the mountains. West of the Cascades the climate is marine-influenced, with long, rainy winters and cool, dry summers.

Plant and animal life

Native vegetation at lower elevations of the interior basin is mostly of the shrub-steppe variety, dominated by sagebrush and bunchgrasses. With increasing elevation, shrub-steppe gives way to ponderosa pines and then to firs, larches, and other pines. More than half of the original shrub-steppe vegetation has been eliminated by grazing and farming. Cheatgrass has become a troublesome invader. Greasewood and alkali salt grass dominate on poorly drained saline soils, while willows and black cottonwoods dominate along watercourses. West of the Cascades, forests of Douglas firs with hemlocks and western red cedars prevail in upland areas.

Animal life was abundant and varied prior to white settlement. Notable were the great runs of salmon and steelhead trout; populations of beavers, deer, elk, bears, and bighorn sheep; flocks of waterfowl and upland birds, including eagles, ospreys, hawks, and falcons; and numbers of western rattlesnakes. The ability of the region to sustain large populations of wildlife has been drastically reduced, especially for salmon and beavers. Bald eagles and peregrine falcons were once listed as endangered but have recovered in numbers throughout the region. However, there has been continued concern over the declining number of salmon, despite the presence of fish ladders and other passage facilities designed to make possible the continued annual upstream run of spawning salmon beyond dams on the river.

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Columbia River | Location, Length, History, & Facts

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Columbia River, largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America. The Columbia is one of the world's greatest sources of hydroelectric power and, with its tributaries, represents a third of the potential hydropower of the United States. It is 1,240 miles (2,000 km) long.

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The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stretches 85 miles on both sides of one of the largest waterways on the continent. Protected by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 17, 1986, the Gorge became the first landscape to become specifically designated as a National Scenic Area by Congress.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is recognized internationally as a destination for exploring the natural beauty and cultural richness of the Pacific Northwest. The region is home to an incredible combination of spectacular landscapes, rare plants, wildlife, recreational opportunities, farmland, ancient native Indian petroglyph and pictograph rock art, and a variety of cultural and historic sites.

Our COLUMBIA GORGE DISCOVERY CENTER exhibits introduce visitors to the geology, flora, fauna, history, and development of the Gorge natural resources. Learn how balance among many competing interests is helping preserve the region for future generations.

The Discovery Center ICE AGE exhibits examine theories of why the Ice Age occurred, and a closer look at the mighty river which sculpted a unique diversity of vegetation, wildlife, and ancient ways of life. Stand at the feet of a life-size replica of a Columbian mammoth to bring a larger perspective to the mammals that once lived in the region. Learn about the 10,000 years of indigenous NATIVE HISTORY that makes the Columbia Gorge one of the oldest areas of human habitation in the Western hemisphere and the Native basketry of the region. Learn about early explorers like LEWIS & CLARK, Oregon Trail pioneers, energy and natural resources and early transportation along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The adjacent wing, Wasco County Historical Museum, highlights the pioneer settlement of Wasco County, past and present. The George Lawrence Co. HARNESS & SADDLERY exhibit will show the fine detail of the art of leatherworking.

Picnic on the lawn under the Solar Pavilion, then come inside to see how the solar panels contribute to the STEWARDSHIP & RENEWABLE ENERGY of the museum. Take a NATURE WALK and admire the beauty of the arid landscape and the native plants that grow in the area.

Our Raptor Program will introduce you to live birds of prey as you learn about these majestic birds and their habitat.

Our exhibits are multi-media and interactive. The museum is family friendly and wheelchair accessible. There's lots to see and do, and we hope you enjoy your visit to Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum.

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Columbia Gorge Cultural & Natural History - Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

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The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area stretches 85 miles on both sides of one of the largest waterways on the continent. Protected by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on November 17, 1986, the Gorge became the first landscape to become specifically designated as a National Scenic Area by Congress.

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The Best Time to Visit Columbia River Gorge, the United States for Weather, Safety, & Tourism | Champion Traveler

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The best times to visit Columbia River Gorge for ideal weather are

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Welcome to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a year-round recreational area offering the best of outdoor activities including camping, hiking, biking, golf, whitewater rafting and kayaking, windsurfing and kiteboarding, boating, bird watching, photography, downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing-the list is endless. Indoor options are also readily available with world-class museums, wine tasting, superb dining opportunities and, shopping. There is truly something for everyone in the Columbia River Gorge.

Just taking a drive through the Columbia River Gorge is an experience in itself as you will be in awe of this spectacular geological wonder. The Columbia River is the second largest river in North America, starting in northern Idaho and southeastern British Columbia, and traveling over 1,200 miles to the ocean. Through millenniums of geologic events, waterfalls have found their home in the Columbia River Gorge. A visit to the area is not complete without a visit to the breathtaking waterfalls.

The Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association is a non-profit organization representing various businesses and organizations that provide services and information to visitors throughout the Gorge.

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Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association

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Welcome to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a year-round recreational area offering the best of outdoor activities including camping, hiking, biking, golf, whitewater rafting and kayaking, windsurfing and kiteboarding, boating, bird watching, photography, downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing-the list is endless.

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There's no good record of precisely which peoples first came to live in the Columbia River Gorge. Most archaeological evidence along the river dates no further than the end of the latest Ice Age, but "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." The ice age concluded with dramatic floods that would have swept away any earlier traces. Tantalizing glimpses of early habitation - an ancient hearth, for instance - were discovered during construction of The Dalles Dam, and farther upstream near the mouth of the John Day River, buried under gravel deposits laid down by those floods. The last glacial flood came through about 12,800 years ago, so the buried hearth proves people have been here at least that long. But just who they were, how they came to be here and what became of them is lost to prehistory.

Much better documented are the people who later witnessed the arrival of the Lewis & Clark expedition. These comprised many different cultures, speaking different languages (indeed, the native languages of North America are greater in number and more diverse than the languages of any other continent). Between Celilo Falls upriver to Priest Rapids, there was a collection of peoples, not a single tribe so much as myriad autonomous groups, speaking the Sahaptin language. Their descendants now live on the Yakama, Umatilla and Warm Springs reservations. Downriver from Celilo were the Wasco-Wishrams, who spoke a Chinookan language. Each language had its subdivisions. Upper Chinook, for instance, is a series of separate languages and dialects ranging from the Oregon and Washington coasts to the middle Columbia River Gorge. There was a Cascades dialect separate from the Wasco-Wishrams, and subtle differences even between those two groupings. All these peoples shared the river in common, primarily because of the tremendous natural resource it provided in the annual salmon runs. The salmon were - and are - more than a food source; they're a link between mankind and creator, symbol of an ancient lifestyle maintained always close to the earth.

The Sahaptin word for the Columbia was "Nch'i-Wana," the "Great River." Today, the river and its salmon continue as a crucial focal point in Native American culture for the entire region. But upheaval and death came with the arrival of the first European fur traders, trappers and explorers. The mayhem began east of the Rockies, as the introduction of the horse and firearm enabled tribes such as the Blackfoot to mount aggressive campaigns against other tribes in the Northern Great Plains; some of these tribes, such as the Flathead and Kootenai, had been driven west of the Continental Divide by 1800. Then came disease.

Smallpox and other diseases decimated the Native Americans; downstream at Fort Vancouver, Chief Factor Dr. John McLoughlin once estimated a 90 percent mortality rate among some tribes. By the time Lewis and Clark arrived in the Columbia Gorge, perhaps half the original population had fallen victim. Smallpox epidemics struck in the late 1700s, in 1801, 1824-25 and 1853. Another disease, described at the time as "fever and ague" but most likely malaria, took a particularly heavy toll in the 1830s. Meanwhile, what had started as a trickle of fur trappers and traders soon turned into a massive wave of immigration from the young United States, which had gained its first economic foothold when Capt. Robert Gray began coastal trading in 1788. On May 11, 1792, Gray became the first newcomer to "discover" the Columbia River, naming it after his vessel, the Columbia Rediviva.

The Lewis & Clark expedition, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson, firmly established a United States claim to the Pacific Northwest over its British rivals; the "Corps of Discovery" arrived at the Columbia Gorge in October 1805, overwintered at Fort Clatsop near Astoria, then retraced their steps the following spring. They encamped both years at the site of modern-day The Dalles. Two other important explorations into the Northwest were conducted by David Thompson in 1807-11, and by David Stuart in 1812. George B. McClellan surveyed a potential railroad route in 1853.

By the 1840s, the fur trade was in serious decline, and the economic engine that drove the region's development turned to permanent settlement and land claims. Preceded by missionaries and military officers, a trickle of immigrants began to arrive in the early 1840s. This expanded dramatically in 1843, with 900 immigrants reaching the end of the overland Oregon Trail at The Dalles, followed by 1,100 in 1844 and 1,765 in 1845.

The Dalles wasn't really the end of the trail (that distinction belongs to Oregon City), but it was a crucial resting point for the weary immigrants. The community had long been a trading place, first among the disparate tribes and later between tribes and fur traders ("The Dalles" or "les dalles" referred to rocky chasms in the Columbia River, through which the river literally turned sideways in a whitewater torrent). At first, The Dalles became a resting place and restocking point for the pioneers. A military base was established here in 1850 following the Whitman Massacre. In its heyday, Fort Dalles was the most important US Army garrison in the region, serving as a source of troops to maintain peace between the settlers and Native Americans, and also as an emergency source of supplies for the settlers themselves. Part of the old fort still stands today, as the Fort Dalles Museum - Oregon's oldest historical museum.

The missionaries brought a different kind of peace, establishing the first churches in the area, including a Methodist mission at The Dalles in 1838, followed later by Congregational and Catholic churches. The region's first permanent school, St. Mary's Academy, was established in The Dalles. A watershed year came in 1846, when Sam Barlow opened a rugged overland route to the Willamette Valley around the southern flank of Mt. Hood. It was no highway.

The route followed a bumpy path south from The Dalles, then headed west from Tygh Valley, passing near the old community of Wamic and continuing into the wilderness. It crossed the crest of the Cascades at Barlow Pass, where it's still marked today by the "Pioneer Woman's Grave" just off Highway 35. The Barlow Road created a famous "point of decision" for pioneers in The Dalles. They could take Barlow's toll route, risking life and limb on steep mountain passes, or they could build a raft and float down the Columbia River - risking life and limb from drowning, but at least free of a toll charge. Depending on their circumstance and best judgment, the immigrants would continue to select one route or another for many years (the road was finally donated to the public in 1919) although other modes of travel became more appealing.

The first steamship above the Cascades rapids was the Eagle in 1853, followed by the Mary, the Wasco, the Hassalo and many others. The Col. Wright was the first upriver steamer, launched in 1859. There followed, too, the railroads: the first line to Portland opened in 1883.

Industry would change, as the early fur trade was replaced by timber and wheat ranching. Salmon provided another industry, although this resource was soon depleted through overfishing and habitat loss. A similar fate overtook the timber industry, but not until the early 1990s. Highways came next, most notably the Columbia River Highway in the 1920s, with communities strung along them - towns such as Bingen, Lyle, Hood River, Stevenson and Cascade Locks, plus many others which have long since disappeared from the map.

The rapids of the Cascades, which long hindered upriver navigation, were tamed first with completion of a lockage at Cascade Locks in 1896, and later in 1938 with completion of Bonneville Dam. The dam inundated the old rapids, and a new lock allowed ocean-going freighters to reach the upper Columbia River. A newer, bigger lock opened in 1993. Farther upstream, the Celilo lock and canal opened in 1915; from The Dalles, it led upstream around the Long Narrows rapids and Celilo Falls, replacing a portage railroad. Celilo Falls themselves were inundated in 1957 with construction of The Dalles Dam - a victory at the time for economic progress, but one purchased at heavy cost in terms of culture and scenic beauty. The hydroelectric dams (Bonneville in 1937, The Dalles in 1957 and John Day in 1971) brought not only navigation and flood control but also a source of relatively cheap electricity, which fueled development of a new industry - aluminum smelting. Two plants are located today at The Dalles and south of Goldendale, although the energy crisis leaves their future uncertain.

Two key events came for the Columbia Gorge came in the latter half of the 20th century: development of Interstate 84 (originally known as Interstate 80-N), replacing Highway 30 in the late 1950s and allowing the large-scale movement of truck traffic, and the 1986 passage by Congress of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The act has two purposes: to protect the region's natural environment, and to encourage its local economies. Toward that end, Congress authorized a regional conference center - which would become Skamania Lodge at Stevenson - and a regional interpretive center, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum at The Dalles. The region's long history and prehistory are displayed in museums throughout the Columbia Gorge.

Sources & Further Reading...

"The Columbia River," William Lyman, Binfords & Mort Publishers

"Oregon and the Pacific Northwest," Lancaster Pollard, Binford & Mort Publishers

"Barlow Road," Clackamas and Wasco County Historical Societies, J.Y. Hollingsworth Co.

"Nch'i-Wana, Mid-Columbia Indians and Their Land," Eugene S. Hunn, University of Washington Press

"Stone Age on the Columbia River," Emory Strong, Binfords & Mort Publishers

"Handbook of North American Indians," Vol. XII, edited by Deward E. Walker Jr., Smithsonian Institution

Text provided By The Dalles Chronicle
For More Information On The History Of The Gorge, Be Sure To Visit...

Bonneville Dam Visitor Center- In Oregon and Washington, 541-374-8820

Cascade Locks Historical Museum- Cascade Locks, OR, 503-374-8535

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Wasco County Historical Museum- The Dalles, OR, 541-296-8600

Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center- Skamania County Museum in Stevenson, WA, 509-427-8211

Fort Dalles Historical Museum- The Dalles, OR, 503-296-4547

Gorge Heritage Museum- White Salmon, WA, 509-493-3228

Hood River County Historical Museum- Hood River, OR, 541-386-4547

Hutson Museum- Parkdale, OR, 541-352-6808

Maryhill Museum of Art- Goldendale, WA, 509-773-3733

Stonehenge- 3 miles east of Maryhill Museum

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There's no good record of precisely which peoples first came to live in the Columbia River Gorge. Most archaeological evidence along the river dates no further than the end of the latest Ice Age, but "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence."

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Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America with a length of approximately 1,243 miles. It is also the fourth largest river in the United States by volume. It flows from British Columbia Canada to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and provides drinking water to numerous communities along its course.

The first ever documented European discovery of the river was in 1775 when Bruno de Heceta sighted the river's mouth. This river was named for Captain Robert Gray's ship the Columbia Rediviva.
Quick Facts: -

There are total 14 hydroelectric dams that produce power on the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam is the largest of them.

This river is responsible for one-third of the hydro potential in the United States.

There are more than 60 significant tributaries of this river including Snake River, Kootenay River, and Beaver River etc.

Fishing has been one of the most important activities in the river for as long as the region is inhabited.

The drainage basin or watershed of the Columbia River encompasses 668,000 square kilometers.

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River which is up to 1,200 meters deep and stretching for more than 130 kilometers.

It holds federally protected status as a National Scenic Area called the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

Human have inhabited the river basin for more than 15,000 years.

The river has supported the greatest salmon and steelhead runs on Earth for a long time.

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Amazing Facts for Kids about Columbia River

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Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America with a length of approximately 1,243 miles. It is also the fourth largest river in the United States by volume. It flows from British Columbia Canada to the Pacific Ocean in Oregon and provides drinking water to numerous communities along its course.

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The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River (and the towns of Roosevelt, Washington, and Arlington, Oregon) in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the water gap furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. It is thus the route of Interstate 84, U.S. Route 30, Washington State Route 14, and railroad tracks on both sides.

A popular recreational destination, the gorge holds federally protected status as the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area and is managed by the Columbia River Gorge Commission and the U.S. Forest Service.

Description

The Columbia River, Klamath River in northern California, Pit River in northern California, and Fraser River in southern British Columbia are the only four rivers connecting the watersheds on the east side of the Cascade Range to the Pacific Ocean. Each river has created a gorge through the Cascades. The Columbia River Gorge marks the state line between Oregon and Washington, and its wide range of elevation and precipitation makes it an extremely diverse and dynamic place. Ranging from 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to sea level, and transitioning from 100 inches (2,500 mm) of precipitation to only 10 inches (250 mm) in 80 miles (130 km), the gorge creates a diverse collection of ecosystems, from the temperate rain forest on the western end-with an average annual precipitation of 75 to 100 inches (1,900 to 2,500 mm)-to the eastern grasslands with average annual precipitation between 10 and 15 inches (250 and 380 mm), to a transitional dry woodland between Hood River and The Dalles. Isolated micro-habitats have allowed for many species of endemic plants and animals to prosper, including at least 13 endemic wildflowers.

The gorge transitions between temperate rainforest to dry grasslands in only 80 miles (130 km), hosting a dramatic change in scenery while driving along Interstate 84. In the western, temperate rainforest areas, forests are marked by bigleaf maples, Douglas fir, and western hemlock, all covered in epiphytes. In the transition zone (between Hood River and The Dalles), vegetation turns to Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine, and cottonwood. At the eastern end, the forests make way for expansive grasslands, with occasional pockets of lodgepole and ponderosa pine.

Atmospheric pressure differentials east and west of the Cascades create a wind tunnel effect in the deep cut of the gorge, generating 35-mile-per-hour (56 km/h) winds that make it a popular windsurfing and kiteboarding location. It also creates the right conditions for snow and ice storms during the winter months which also draw very cold east winds at the mouth of the gorge on the west end.

The gorge is a popular destination for hiking, biking, sightseeing, fishing, and water sports. The area is known for its high concentration of waterfalls, with over 90 on the Oregon side of the gorge alone. Many are along the Historic Columbia River Highway, including the notable 620-foot-high (190 m) Multnomah Falls.

Trails and day use sites are maintained by the Forest Service and many Oregon and Washington state parks.

The Columbia River Gorge began forming as far back as the Miocene (roughly 17 to 12 million years ago), and continued to take shape through the Pleistocene (2 million to 700,000 years ago). During this period the Cascade Range was forming, which slowly moved the Columbia River's delta about 100 miles (160 km) north to its current location.

Although the river slowly eroded the land over this period of time, the most drastic changes took place at the end of the last Ice Age when the Missoula Floods cut the steep, dramatic walls that exist today, flooding the river as high up as Crown Point. This quick erosion left many layers of volcanic rock exposed.

The gorge has supported human habitation for over 13,000 years. Evidence of the Folsom and Marmes people, who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia, were found in archaeological digs. Excavations near Celilo Falls, a few miles east of The Dalles, show humans have occupied this salmon-fishing site for more than 10,000 years.

The gorge has provided a transportation corridor for thousands of years. Native Americans would travel through the gorge to trade at Celilo Falls, both along the river and over Lolo Pass on the north side of Mount Hood. In 1805, the route was used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to reach the Pacific. Early European and American settlers subsequently established steamboat lines and railroads through the gorge. Today, the BNSF Railway runs freights along the Washington side of the river, while its rival, the Union Pacific Railroad, runs freights along the Oregon shore. Until 1997, Amtrak's Pioneer also used the Union Pacific tracks. The Portland segment of the Empire Builder uses the BNSF tracks that pass through the gorge.

The Columbia River Highway, built in the early 20th century, was the first major paved highway in the Pacific Northwest. Shipping was greatly simplified after Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam submerged the gorge's major rapids such as Celilo Falls, a major salmon fishing site for local Native Americans until the site's submergence in 1957.

In November 1986, Congress made the gorge the second U.S. National Scenic Area and established the Columbia River Gorge Commission as part of an interstate compact. The experimental designation came in lieu of being recognized as a national park, which would require the existing industries in towns along the river to relocate. The designation was initially opposed by residents fearing government encroachment, due to restrictions in the plan for items such as building paint colors, and was also opposed by conservationists who feared additional development in the region. In 2004, the gorge became the namesake of the Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area, a 4,432-acre (1,794 ha) area located on both sides of the river.

In fall 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire burned in the gorge for three months, consuming almost 50,000 acres (78 sq mi; 200 km ²). It reached 100% containment on November 30, 2017, but was not yet completely out.

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The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south.