THE GORGE — As autumn nears and students across the region return to class, the Columbia Gorge News editorial staff wanted to share our favorite summer activities. We hope that this list can provide some inspiration before the rain arrives and our evenings get cut short, but also allow you to connect with us.
For good reason, journalism relies on independence — separation between government and the people explaining what isn’t working, who’s responsible and why it’s happening ensures accuracy. We’re still locally-owned, though, and all of us call the Gorge home, so we like to drop the “wall” sometimes.
Sean “the swimmer” Avery
Just beyond the Mosier Creek bridge, an unsuspecting trailhead leads to a pair of swimming spots straight out of a fairy tale. Hike past a pioneer cemetery, with graves from as early as the 1860s, and find two cascading waterfalls gently plummeting into deep, cool pools ideal for cannonballs or sunbathing on rugged rocks like a mermaid.
This past July, my partner and I caught word of this pristine spot — Mosier Creek Falls — from the brilliant Megan Ramey (you may know her as Hood River’s leading bike advocate). Though I hesitate to share the “secret,” I’m not so sure this hidden gem remains as such. It was to us, anyway, and it’s too perfect to gatekeep.
It was a hot day, the sun scorching the beige Mosier grass as the pines gave way to oaks at the border of the Cascade rain shadow. We saw the falls — gorgeous — and then saw the hole: small, but deep, deep enough to dive from the basalt rock circling it.
After a slightly treacherous descent into the area, we splashed into the upper pool, which sits at the bottom of a small falls that you can effectively sit in as it flows beneath you. There was a family already swimming, but with plenty of space to go around, it wasn’t a problem — the spot has room for around four groups without feeling overcrowded.
The second hole lies at the bottom of the larger, 80-foot falls, and takes some outdoorsy guile to access, but possesses the same beauty. If you’re brave and looking for a spot to yourself, go for it.
If you’re looking for a swimming hole, this one meets every bit of criteria you might have — the literal definition of the term. It’s beautiful, it’s accessible, it’s relatively hidden, and it’s waiting for you.
Depending on smoke from the Grasshopper Fire, Mount Hood may or may not be visible from Trisha’s front porch, but it’s still her favorite place to be.
Trisha Walker photo
You’ll find Trisha Walker at home
My favorite thing to do each summer in the Gorge?
Stay home.
That’s always been my favorite thing, which I realize might seem a little lame to some, but my house has everything I need — a front porch perfect for reading and/or drinking iced coffees; comfortable couches for napping; orange cats for cuddling; a big stack of books; a lovely view of Mount Hood; and some of my favorite humans.
Why wouldn’t I spend time here? The world is so loud, but my house is not — probably because those favorite humans (my husband Eric and our youngest Jo) are introverts like me.
My house hasn’t always been quiet. My kids are solidly in their 20s now, but when they were younger … yeah, I guess the house was still pretty quiet, but Abby, our oldest and the family’s lone extrovert, was there to coordinate our activities (we still call her our Cruise Director) (she’s actually an ICU nurse).
Kids don’t really care what you do as long as you’re doing it with them. Our lazy summer days were spent telling long, rambling stories (so long and so rambling), hunting for four-leaf clovers, picking bouquets of dandelions, finding shapes in the clouds, coloring, searching for bugs, and organizing dramatic productions of whatever book Abby happened to be reading at the time.
There is plenty of fun stuff to do in the Gorge — that’s why people come here. But for this introvert who has a very extroverted job, staying home to pet cats while reading thick books and drinking iced coffees on a porch that looks right at the mountain is a luxury I will never take for granted.
Amelia Fiore is a farmers market fanatic
As a new(ish) resident of Hood River, it’s been my mission to explore as much of the area as I can in the relatively small amount of time I have to do so. So, every weekend, I visit the Hood River Farmers Market.
On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., a collection of local vendors come together to share their specialties with the community in downtown Hood River. It’s my preferred way of getting to know the heart and soul of the Gorge without traveling too far from home.
Artisans like Session 2 Bags share items made from repurposed kites, while others provide specialized services, like Wind’s Edge’s knife sharpening. Each stall represents an aspect of Hood River that gives the town its signature vibrant, homey feeling.
When I get home from the market, I like to curate little snack plates with the fresh produce and baked goods I’ve picked up. This week, I made a plate consisting of donut peaches from Mt. View Orchards, cherry tomatoes from Tumbleweed Farm, blackberries and basil from Oak Rose Farm, Italian plums from A Squared Hill, a loaf of ciabatta from Bran and Ash, and some prosciutto and mozzarella I had in the house. It was the perfect summer afternoon spread.
Following the wildfires that have threatened the area for the past few weeks, I’ve come to face the reality of the nonstop effort that smaller farms provide to keep things moving. I’m excited to continue making eccentric snack plates and home cooked meals as often as I can, while supporting Hood River’s local agriculture in the process.
Holding blueberries at a farm off Fordyce Road in Husum.
Bianca Santino photo
Emma Renly loves the fresh food, too
If there’s one thing particularly special about the Gorge in the summer, it’s the access to fresh food, especially fruits. One of my favorite things to do is grab friends and pick the fruits ourselves — it’s a chance to put down our phones, engage with nature and get an inch closer to a sustainable food system, all the while supporting small, local farmers.
There’s blueberries in Husum, cherries in Mosier, pears in Hood River, peaches in Parkdale — the amount of agriculture here like living in a real life Animal Crossing town.
As the summer nears an end, there’s still plenty of opportunities to check out u-pick fruit locations all throughout the Gorge, and it’s genuinely a good time for all ages. Find out where your food comes from!
Ever the reporter, Martin Gibson
My favorite place in The Dalles is the zine library at Columbia Gorge Community College.
You make a zine by folding a piece of paper in a certain way, making a single cut, and presto an 8-page folded booklet the size of your palm. You number the pages, write or draw or paint on them, or cut out images and words to stick on. Then you unfold the thing, pop it in the copier, and make color copies that can be folded up the same way. Then you share with all your friends, or give a copy to the librarian for the zine library itself, and enrage the publishing establishment by filling the world with unsanctioned words and poetry!
I love zines for the same reasons I love newspapers, only more so: They’re personal, local, uncontrollable, free to anyone, a way to share anything of your world, and anything people need. They can be tucked in library books or public benches if you’re feeling sneaky. They can share information established channels won’t: that’s why they exist.
Zines have existed for decades as a way to publish work, share knowledge, and communicate when established channels disapprove or don’t care. They were an underground thing, a punk thing, often queer. When it’s illegal or dangerous to be gay, for instance, people shared useful information on health and safety resources, and unpublishable poetry, this way.
Zines can be anything, and anyone can make a zine.
This tiny, friendly corner of the library has hundreds of zines. Zines on native plants, how to eat acorns, gardening, salad recipes, insurance problems; zines by queer folks, Native Americans writing about race and art and hope, zines about struggling with mental health written by people who do (I wish some of our health professionals would read these), comedic zines about coyotes, fashion and favorite flowers.
There’s a table with supplies — instructions for folding the paper, scissors, glue, colored pens, and boxes of old magazines and dictionaries to cannibalize for photos. This is where I go when I need time, space, or joy.
There’s also a monthly zine club, but I like working alone.
This is my favorite leisure activity of summer: go to the zine library, read some accounts of things it never occurred to me to learn about, and make a zine of my own.
Mount Adams, as seen from the top of Sleeping Beauty, in June 2025.
Nathan Wilson photo
Nathan Wilson’s most rewarding hike
In the two years and change that I’ve been at Columbia Gorge News, making the most of my free time and getting outside has been a priority. I’ve gone on some breathtaking hikes, and while this one isn’t my absolute favorite, it certainly provides the biggest reward for the least amount of work: Sleeping Beauty.
Northwest of Trout Lake in the Gifford Pinchot, Sleeping Beauty will take you up roughly 1,400 feet in 1.3 miles. Maybe it was the gentle breeze I felt on my back, maybe I was just really pumped that day, but the grade wasn’t getting to me.
About 20 minutes in, Douglas firs gave way to rock as I navigated the climb’s final twists (complete with very impressive stonework, by the way), and I found myself not only staring Mount Adams directly in the face, but admiring Mount Rainer, Mount St. Helens and Mount Hood off in the distance as well.
For a half hour of walking, Sleeping Beauty treats you to four peaks and a gorgeous sunset, too, if you time it right. Forest Road 8810 is rough, however, so don’t take a sedan to try this hike out!
Zach Thummel is all about the views
I’m always looking for a great view, and while there are no shortage of spots in the Gorge, it’s hard to beat Rheingarten Park in White Salmon.
This park sits between Northwest Lincoln Street and Northwest Washington Street next to Hulan L. Whitson Elementary School and the White Salmon Valley School District office, offering a variety of views in almost every direction.
The view of Mount Hood in particular is incredible on a clear day. The views to the east and west are also great, with Strawberry Mountain to the northwest and a nice view of the ridge to the east.
The park provides a variety of play areas for younger children, including a splash pad, play set, and tennis courts, all within a short stroll to businesses/eateries downtown.
The splash pad offers a safer way for younger kids to play in water without being in water that is too deep. The pad uses fountains and nozzles in the ground to shoot water up so kids can run underneath. It’s something you rarely see in a small town park.
There are also nice bathrooms for a park and a variety of seating and barbecue space for a potential group gathering.
I would recommend Rheingarten Park to anyone looking for a good view or just a calm place to hang out.
Commented