Oregon & Washington Wildflower Hikes in the Columbia River Gorge

wildflower path in the Columbia river gorge

Every spring the hills of the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and Washington get covered in a field of stunning wildflowers. The best way to experience these flowers is to go for a spring hike! The Columbia River Gorge is known for its waterfall hikes, but it also has some of the best wildflower hikes in the Pacific Northwest. See below for more information on hikes in Oregon and Washington with wildflowers. These hikes are all within 2 hours of Portland, making them a perfect day trip.

Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Types

yellow Oregon balsamroot wildflower — Yellow Balsamroot

The main wildflowers you will see in the Oregon and Washington Columbia River Gorge are balsamroot and lupine. Balsamroot is a bright yellow flower, also called the Oregon Sunflower! Lupine is the soft purple wildflower that grows in bunches alongside balsamroot. These two flowers bloom at the same time in a brilliant display of purple and yellow.

When To See Wildflowers in Oregon?

The Oregon wildflowers bloom in Spring, usually starting in April. The flowers hang around until May or early June. Peak bloom is when 70% of the wildflowers are blooming. The timing varies, so make sure to check the status of the flowers with the tools below.

Are the Wildflowers Blooming?

There are a few tools you can use to see if the wildflowers are currently blooming in Oregon and Washington. Keep in mind that bloom status changes fast so even reports a few days or weeks old may not be entirely accurate.

Wildflowersearch.org– Lists current and average blooms for any time of the year. You can search by location, elevation, and time of year.
Oregonwildflowers.org– Compiles field reports from visitors and hikers on Oregon’s wildflowers’ current status.
AllTrails.com– Search the trail you are planning on hiking and see if recent visitors have mentioned the blooms or posted recent photos.
WashingtonTrailsAssociaton.org– Similar to AllTrails, but just for Washington Trials. There are often more in-depth trail reports here, especially for longer trails like Dog Mountain.
Instagram– On Instagram, you can search for the location or relevant hashtags and sort by recent photos to see if visitors have posted photos of the wildflowers.

Things to Know When Hiking in the Columbia River Gorge

girl hiking on wildflower field path in columbia river gorge

The wildflower areas of the Columbia River Gorge come with several dangers. Almost all the hikes on this list have the risk of encountering rattlesnakes, ticks, and poison oak. Know how to avoid these dangers and what to look for. Wearing a hat and long sleeves and pants can help you to avoid ticks and poison oak.
Many of these trails are popular in the springtime and wildflower season. Arrive early on weekends to guarantee a parking spot, and if the trailhead is full drive to another rather than parking somewhere not allowed. This guide has more than 10 wildflower hikes in the Columbia River Gorge, so if one trail is full, check out another one nearby.
Check if you need a parking pass. Some of these trailheads require a day use or Discovery Pass if you are parking in Washington.
Don’t pick the flowers and leave no trace! It may be tempting to wander off the trail to take photos in the wildflowers. Don’t do this! This can damage the area and harm flowers that may not be visible yet. Respect the area and leave it pristine for future visitors to enjoy. You can take plenty of photos while staying on the trail.

Columbia River Gorge Wildflower Hikes in Oregon

Tom McCall Point

Length: 4.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,309 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Dogs Allowed: No

Tom McCall Point Trail is one of the best wildflower hikes in Oregon and my personal favorite. It begins at Rowena Crest Viewpoint in Mayer State Park on the Rowena Plateau. This trail gains a bit more elevation than some of the other ones on this list, but it is gentle enough that the difficulty doesn’t go much above moderate.

As you ascend the trail, Mount Hood and Mount Adams come into view, taking your breath away. The balsamroot and lupine appear straight away on the trail and continue to appear in greater quantities further along the trail. Near the top, the hill becomes a complete carpet of purple and yellow blooms. McCall Point is 1.8 miles along the trail. The trail continues for about half a mile past this, but the views don’t get much better so you can turn around when you have had your fill.

Rowena Plateau

wildflower trail in Oregon's columbia river gorge

Length: 2 miles
Elevation Gain: 278 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Dogs Allowed: No

If you want an easier hike than Tom McCall Point, but equally as stunning views, check out Rowena Plateau Trail. This trail also starts near the Rowena Crest Viewpoint but is on the opposite side of US-30.

Rowena Plateau is part of the Tom McCall Preserve and one of the best places to see wildflowers in all of Oregon. This trail is mostly flat, crisscrossing the plateau and ridgeline with amazing overlooks down the Columbia River.

Like Tom McCall Point trail, dogs are not allowed on Rowena Plateau, so leave them at home or choose another trail that is dog friendly. This trail is also very exposed so bring some sunscreen and a hat to prepare for the sun and winds.

Read More: Best Hikes Near Hood River

Mosier Plateau

Length: 2.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 728 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Dogs Allowed: Yes

The Mosier Plateau Trail is a beautiful trail located on the Mosier Plateau Preserve inside Mosier, Oregon. The parking for this trailhead is rather small and a few hundred feet before the actual start of the trail. There is a pull-off on US-30 you can park at, right before the bridge that passes over Mosier Creek. You will have to walk along the road and cross over the bridge to start the trail.

You will pass by an old cemetery before arriving at the lookout to Mosier Creek Falls just 0.3 miles into the trail. This waterfall alone makes this trail worth the hike! After the waterfall, the trail begins to ascend several switchbacks before gently sloping down closer to the plateau’s edge. There are some amazing views along this section of the hike.

Respect signs to stay on the path, and don’t cross any physical boundaries that were put in place. Stepping off the trail will destroy the wildflowers even if you can’t see them.

Memaloose Hills

Length: 2.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Dogs Allowed: Yes

This gem of a hike is located off US-30 just before Rowena Crest. The Memaloose Hills trailhead uses the same parking as Memaloose Overlook, which you can view before or after your hike. There is not a clear sign for the trail, but it is just across the road from the overlook. Do not park at the Memaloose Rest Area off I-84 which is closed for hiker parking.

The beginning of the trail weaves through a forest of mossy cherry trees with wildflowers interspersed throughout. This was one of my favorite parts of the trail. In the morning it feels like walking through a fairytale, enchanted forest.

After a little under a mile into the hike, the trail slopes up along Marsh Hill which opens up to a large hill. Here balsamroot is the main flower, but there is plenty of lupine flowers as well. Like Tom McCall Point, Mount Hood is visible from this flower field, making it one of the best wildflower hikes in Oregon.

Other Oregon Wildflower Hikes

Ferry Springs Trail– 4.4 miles, 580 feet, Moderate– This is one of the lesser-known wildflower hikes in the Columbia River Gorge area. Located 16 miles East of The Dalles in Deschutes State Recreation Area, it ascends onto a hill coated with wildflowers before descending and looping back along the Deschutes River.

Columbia River Gorge Washington-Side Wildflower Hikes

Lyle Cherry Orchard

Length: 5.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,200 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Dogs Allowed: Yes

A wildflower hike a little further away from Portland is the Lyle Cherry Orchard Trail on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. Parking for this trail is off WA-14, a little over an hour from Portland. The parking area is not marked, but it is a wide pullout that will likely have other cars at it. As mentioned above, all of these trails have the same risks associated with desert hiking, but it is worth noting that this trail has a substantial amount of poison oak at the beginning of the trail.

This trail begins with some switchbacks through the trees before opening up to views of the hills and down the gorge. This is where you will start to find bunches of lupine along the trail. At 0.8 miles into the hike, there is an intersection. You can add on a short 0.3 miles detour to a magnificent overlook of the gorge, or continue straight to add 1.6 miles onto the hike before rejoining the trail later.

girl in flannel hiking with yellow wildflowers

However, if you want to follow the main trail, take a right turn to continue ascending for another half a mile. This is where the yellow wildflowers will really start to pop, covering the entire hillside and both sides of the trail. Once the trail begins to flatten out there are fewer wildflowers and more cherry trees for the last part of the hike.

Columbia Hills State Park- Dalles Ranch

abandoned car in wildflowers in columbia hills state park

There is not one trail here but several. Most of Columbia Hills State Park blooms into a superbloom of wildflowers in Spring. This is the furthest area from Portland on this list, an hour and a half away. A Discovery Pass or day pass is required to park in this Washington state park.

There is one trailhead off WA-14 that will take you to the Columbia Hills Vista Loop Trail for a 6.4-mile hike, this can also be shortened to a 4.8-mile loop. The Vista Loop can also begin from the upper parking lot. To get to this lot you will turn off of WA-14 onto the gravel Dalles Mountain Road for 3.5 miles.

The upper lot also is near the trailhead to the 10.6-mile long Dalles Mountain Trail and the much shorter, quarter of a mile walk to the Dalles Mountain Ranch Car. The car is a fun spot to take photos but please don’t trample or pick the wildflowers.

Dog Mountain Wildflower Hike

Length: 6.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 3,000 feet
Difficulty: Difficult
Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
Dogs Allowed: Yes

A Columbia River Gorge wildflower hike list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Dog Mountain! This is known for being a challenging but beautiful hike with some of the best wildflower views in the Pacific Northwest. Due to its popularity, a permit is now required to hike this trail on the weekends from April 23 to June 12 during peak wildflower season.

To reach the Dog Mountain trailhead it is a one-hour drive from Portland, or you can take the Columbia Gorge Express bus, so you don’t have to worry about parking.

Other Washington Wildflower Hikes

Catherine Creek– 1.9 miles, 383 feet, Easy– This is a fairly easy loop that views a waterfall and a stone arch as well as spring wildflowers. There are a few other trails that start from this trailhead if you are in the mood for a longer hike instead.
Coyote Wall Butte Loop– 6.8 miles, 1,624 feet, Moderate– A fun hike, any time of the year, this trail is especially magical in the Spring with plenty of balsamroot and lupine wildflower blooms.

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What to Wear for Spring Hiking in the Gorge

Windbreaker/ Rain Jacket– Always have a rain jacket ready in Oregon Spring. Patagonia makes top-quality rain gear, and Columbia has a great, inexpensive option
Hiking Boots– Don’t forget hiking boots if you are planning on hiking a lot. Good traction and ankle support will save your feet on long hikes. Danner and Merrell have great boots at different price points.
Flannel or Fleece– In Spring, it is a good idea to hike in layers. I usually wear a flannel or a fleece I can shed if it warms up.
Thick Socks– If you do wear boots, make sure to bring good socks to reduce the risk of blisters!
Moisture Wicking Shirts- Any shirt will do, but the best hiking shirts are made of natural or synthetic moisture-wicking material that is breathable and dries quickly.
Hiking Pants or Leggings– Wear long hiking leggings with socks to avoid the ticks.
Backpack– A good daypack can make your hike so much more enjoyable. Properly distributing weight can ease your trip and allow you to bring all the essentials above!
Baseball Hat– Wear a hat to keep ticks and sun off your head.
Bug Spray– Spraying your ankles with bug spray can help avoid ticks as well.