With Horsethief Butte as the scenic backdrop, this lake is a relaxing spot for fishing & kayaking…read more Equipped with bathrooms & showers, a popular place for camping & RV sleepovers. Not naturally formed, flooded into existence by the Dalles Dam. Without a natural circulation of water, the summer creates toxic algae harmful to humans and fish. Warning signs are posted. A petroglyph trail is a highlight for all; in depth tour guide available by reservation. Boat launch access to the Columbia River.

Lovely piece of the Gorge. We've stopped by the lake portion and checked out the Petroglyphs before…read morewhile passing through, as well as briefly jumping onto a trail at the Butte. This weekend we got around to investing more time in the trails of Butte and it was pretty fun. The trails don't allow for a complete loop around the rock, as there's a block for restoration on the east side. But you can wander most of the way around the water side...up and around the rocks is really where's it at though. There are 3 access points to the top from the trails, and the bouldering up is loads of fun. Once atop you can roam all about and enjoy fabulous views from every angle. While the remainder of the trails at Butte are average, we found it pretty entertaining to climb around the rock portion. There's a decent amount of parking...Discover Pass required...as well at a vault toilet at the trailhead.

Rowland Lake, formally named DeBois Lake, is so beautiful ! This little lake is so picturesque,…read moreespecially in the spring when the wildflowers are in bloom and growing along the slopes, framing the water. If you have driven along SR-14 four miles east of Bingen, then you have driven through Rowland Lake, literally, since the SR-14 and the train track cut through the lake! It makes for some pretty spectacular photo snaps! When you turn onto Old Highway 8 there is a small parking lot and a few areas where you can pull over to take in the scene. Further up the hill on Old Highway 8 is a pull off area for even better views from above. If you are heading to Catherine Creek area or Syncline Wines, you will pass Rowland Lake. It's worth pulling over for a few minutes to take in the beauty. The north lake is stocked with trout, both rainbow and broodstock. There are two fishing openers: the first is from the last Saturday in April through the Sunday before Thanksgiving.; the second is the Friday after Thanksgiving through February. People have also caught bluegill, crappie and largemouth bass. Check their website for details. There is a small boat launch area; electronic boats only. WA access pass is required if you are spending time here other than just pulling over for a few quick pics. I walked around, took pics, then headed to Catherine Creek.

I went here with a group of 14 people plus a dog for 2 nights. You can reserve a group camp site…read morehere for $40 a night, which is a really good deal. Our campsite was very spacious, we probably could have put 4 more tents and still have room for a few more cars to park. The site had a bonfire pit, 2 trash cans, a water pipe and 5 picnic tables. It was a good thing we brought our grills along so we had a separate area to prepare food while everyone else can hang around the bonfire to hang out or roast smores. There is a bathroom nearby and it was surprisingly clean! They stock the toilet paper and soap on a regular basis. There is a shower available but it will cost you $2 for 5 min (quarters only). Oh and beware, the first 10 seconds is super cold but it will heat up after that. There are so many things to do outside of the park. Some of the activities you can do around here are fish at Trout Lake, go white water rafting with various companies (we went with Blue Sky Outfitters, review soon to come), hiking and so on. So there is something for everyone in your group to enjoy! The park rangers here were very helpful as well. Upon arrival, we were greeted and had a quick run through on where to find the bathroom, rules and other helpful tips. She even helped us find a place to find tools to unlock our friend's car since she left her keys in there. We did call AAA but they told us to call back at 11 pm...and our food was in that car, so we had no choice but to break in. Anyways, the park ranger kept checking up on us until we finally did and cheer. Hahaha yes that was a very interesting event. Before you go and book your trip, here are some things to keep in mind: * Google map your trip! There are points in the trip where you will be driving on a long stretch of road for a long period of time before you get to turn. By google mapping, you will have time estimations to show how long you have until your next turn. * Leave early. Although google maps said it was a 4 hour drive from Seattle, it took us 5 plus hours to get there thanks to the traffic around the Tacoma Dome on I-5. Also there are a few sharp turns around Trout Lake that don't have lighting at night, which was pretty scary to drive through. * Make sure someone in your group has AT&T!!! That is the only provider that has service out here. We got lucky that 2 of our friends had AT&T so it was easier for us when we made runs to get supplies. I definitely would love to come back here for another camping trip! **EDIT: I don't know who changed the info for the park but the park is in Trout Lake, NOT Goldendale, WA.

Very clean, great camp host on site for local information. A bit small and tight on spots, very few…read moreoffer privacy.

A lush, beautiful state park located off I-84 near Rowena. After passing by more times than I can…read morecount, I decided to venture off the highway to check it out. Was so surprised and delighted by the incredible views of the basalt cliffs across the way, and of course, close up views of the magnificent Columbia River. There is an area under the trees with picnic tables, a perfect spot to gather for a meal after a nice walk or hike. Plenty of parking, great views, peaceful and serene - a gem.

We pulled off recently to check out Mayer. In our camper van, it was a lovely, quiet spot to enjoy…read morea stretch and a meal. It seemed to be more like a county park in feel, with plenty of parking, some picnic tables, and toilets. They had a recycle bin alongside the trash cans...loved to see that. Albeit a cold December day, we only saw a couple of cars come and go while we were there. From signage it appears to be a good windsurfing area at other times of the year, so I'm sure it gets much busier. Nice little stop-off along the gorge for a view, a stretch, or a picnic.

Trillium Lake is a nice spot to relax and take a break from the busy Portland city life. There is a…read morewonderful trail around the lake that gives you great views of the water and of Mount Hood in the distance. It is also a great place to go camping, go for a swim, or kayak out in the water. You could tell it was a very lively place that many people enjoy and all the staff there was very friendly and cooperative. Overall, I recommend Trillium Lake to anyone looking for a calm place to unwind with amazing views.

Relaxing. Very good view of mt hood. Picnic areas clean. Public restroom available. You can go on…read morefishing here.

Super clean & clear lake. Perfect for an afternoon outing on the beach or paddling on the water…read more Pretty large with a 12 mile walking/biking path circling the entirety of the lake. Day use areas are scattered all along the shore of the lake, very accessible from path. The rocks in the water are smooth, so less chance of cutting your foot. $10 parking fee 10 mph speed limit on water -- no wake entire lake

This visit we finally got to do some kayaking on Timothy while staying the night at Pine Point…read more It was a great weekend on the lake. Beautiful waters perfect for the kayak, fun hiking, a beautiful camp site, lots of adorable ducklings...and although a wildfire popped up within eyeshot, we got to witness planes working through the evening dipping into Timothy and ultimately taking the fire down. Yay! Although I've never seen so many employees at any campground, the grounds were kept pristine and every staff member encountered was friendly. No complaints, just fabulous fun at Timothy!

So OK, the directions to get there might be a little iffy, and you might get a little lost along…read morethe trail if you haven't been there before, and your pack might be kinda waaaaaaay too heavy because you've never backpacked before, and the mosquitoes might be vicious little buggers, but WOW this lake is so worth it all. At 1.5 hrs from Portland, and only about mile in from the road, you can easily hike in for the day and hike out in the evening, but the best is when you can set up camp and stay for a while. First you go up, up, up the hill to the point where you can look to the left and see Timothy Lake (helloooo!) and then you hike down, down - watch out for boulders and fallen trees - to what I'm going to call the clearest, most serene lake in Northern Oregon. It's a fantastic place to bring a floatie and a book, or 25 of your closest friends. Want to see pictures? http://www.flickr.com/photos/spcilk/sets/72157621357976720/ Want directions?http://maps.google.com/maps?daddr=Buck+Lake,+Oregon+00070&geocode=Ccf3BpbjNOfeFfFWsAIdM2G8-A&dirflg=&saddr=portland,+or&f=d&sll=45.112376,-121.872067&sspn=0.006663,0.01575&ie=UTF8&z=9

overrun. sketchy crowds. not a fan of this spot anymore. used to be way better years agoread more

TLDR: Mostly great trail except it passes directly by the dump and has terrible signage…read more I had read somewhere that there was a 7.5 mile trail from Riverfront Park to The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. From Downtown The Dalles, I had an easy time finding the trail, and finding my way to Riverfront Park. According to the map, the dam is only an additional 2.5 miles east of the park. But, the unpaved section of trail about a mile past the park had a lot of glass and other debris in it, so I decided to turn around. Heading west of Riverfront Park, I had a hard time figuring out where to pick up the trail. There is little to no signage. I kept riding past the dump, thinking, "This can't be right," and turning around. Turns out that the trail is just past this. So, ride until it smells really, really bad. Ride until it smells like death, and then turn right when the road runs into the Google data center. This is where a small aux trail runs from the wide paved Industry trail to the real Riverfront trail. The section from Google to the Gorge Discovery Center is by far the best section of trail. If I only had an hour or two to do this trail and knew everything I know now, I would park at the Discovery Center, and ride from there. Between Google and the river, there is a mini bike park with tables for snacking and stretching, a water bottle refill station, and a bike repair station. There were a lot of older couples and children walking along the trail, so this is not necessarily a great trail for riding fast, but it is very pretty. The views of the volcanic bluffs and basalt deposits along the river are unique and distinct from the rest of the Gorge. Due to the recent fires, a lot of the trees and shrubs on the east side of the trail are currently missing. Even though that's obviously sad, it's resulted in amazing views of the river from the trail. The very last section of trail climbing up to the Discovery Center is a kind of brutal switchback. Coming back down the other way, I got hit by a strong gust of wind that I swear almost blew me straight into the river. I would be very cautious about riding with small children in this area. From the bike trail, you can see so many things that you can't see from the road. There are lots of little inlets full of moss and birds that you would never notice from the freeway. Overall a very pretty trail except for the ride by the dump.

Located in the Columbia River's edge, the Riverfront Trail in The Dalles offers expansive views of…read morethe Columbia River, the basalt cliffs along the Washington side, and The Dalles Bridge and powerful dam with lots of wildlife to see along the way! The ten mile trail goes from The Discovery Center to The Dalles Dam Visitor center winding along the southern bank of the Columbia River. The path is paved, which is why I like it, and it's about 10 feet wide. Plenty of room for those walking, biking, pushing strollers or walking with pets. There are often eagles soaring above, especially from November through January when migrating eagles stay here to feast on the fish and critters. If you go at dusk, there are 50+ nesting in the trees in front of the dam. During the summer, there are hundreds and hundreds of pelicans. They are fascinating to watch, their fishing skills just incredible. They stay together in their flock and when they are hunting, it's a sea of these big white birds diving in and out of the river. Winds can be fierce in this area, which means the current on the river is equally fierce so be aware! And careful. There are also deer in this area which means ticks so wear socks, long pants and stay in the trail. Make sure to check yourself and your dogs after walking especially if you are your pets wander through the grasses. Located off exit 85 on I-8, it's easy access while driving through this area or staying in The Dalles. It's part of Riverplace Park so there are shaded areas with picnic tables, public restrooms and plenty of parking.

I LOVED this trail. So much fun with so much to see along the way and gorgeous views of the gorge…read moreand Mt Hood. The Labyrinth links to a few trails including Coyote Wall. Although the Labyrinth alone is shown as a 3 1/2 mile out and back there is a link trail at Labyrinth Falls that shoots over the ridge and towards Little Maui Falls Trail and Coyote, as well as a signed junction pointing you towards each falls. These trails are clearly popular with bikers and hikers. Signage states that dogs have to be leashed December to July. Aside from the constant epic views, the landscape is unique with streams, falls, springtime flowers, and (I assume) ground squirrels popping up and down from their homes. We started at the trailhead at the junction of Old Hwy 8 and the 14 at Rowland Lake. There's a small parking area there with more parking along the 8. The trail actually starts by heading up the semi-creepy abandoned hwy 8 where you'll quickly encounter Lower Labyrinth Falls. Soon you'll encounter trail signage that'll lead you on your way. Just a stunning trail, other worldly. We only covered part of the trails available in the area and can't wait to return for more!