(The one and only Gorge)
1. We all know how “gorgeous” the Gorge is. But did you know that the Columbia River Gorge is the first and only congressionally designated national Scenic area in the US?
It is a 253 thousand acre landscape managed by the U.S. Forest service, Washington & Oregon states and 6 local counties.
2. In no small part, the region’s importance in the prehistory and history of the West, is due to the fact that the Columbia Gorge is the only sea level passage through the Cascade/Sierra Nevada mountain chain.
These ranges, present a continuous high north-south wall of mountains, stretching from Canada to Mexico, except where they are breached at sea level by the mighty Columbia.
But that’s far from the one and only award the Gorge could win.
3. The very identity of the Cascade Mountain Range itself, has a Gorge origin.
The Cascade Range derived its name from “the cascades,” the famous (dreaded) rapids that once straddled the Columbia River near cascade Locks and Stevenson, a few miles to our east.
These rapids are now submerged under the backwaters of Bonneville Dam.
You can see what's left of "the cascades", if you cross over the Bridge of the Gods.
4. Due to its extreme topographic transitions and good access, the Gorge is famous for its falls – the largest concentration of waterfalls in North America.
77 on the Oregon side alone, as well as the highest # visible from a roadside, in North America.
They come in all shapes and sizes.
We classify them into eight forms – plunge, horsetail, fan, cascade, punchbowl, block, tier, and segmented.
You will see examples of many of these waterfall types on your tour today . . .
5. The Gorge is also home to 14 species of plants, found nowhere else on the planet.
Due to the cold microclimate in the shadows of its high north-facing cliffs, the gorge also hosts over 30 sub alpine plant species, at elevations 2 to 3 thousand feet lower than anywhere else these plants can be found.
6. Despite its distance from the Pacific, tidal influence exists almost as far as Multnomah Falls.
The gorge was the first place Lewis & Clark encountered marine mammals and tidal water, on their epic westward journey.
1. We all know how “gorgeous” the Gorge is. But did you know that the Columbia River Gorge is the first and only congressionally designated national Scenic area in the US?
It is a 253 thousand acre landscape managed by the U.S. Forest service, Washington & Oregon states and 6 local counties.
2. In no small part, the region’s importance in the prehistory and history of the West, is due to the fact that the Columbia Gorge is the only sea level passage through the Cascade/Sierra Nevada mountain chain.
These ranges, present a continuous high north-south wall of mountains, stretching from Canada to Mexico, except where they are breached at sea level by the mighty Columbia.
But that’s far from the one and only award the Gorge could win.
3. The very identity of the Cascade Mountain Range itself, has a Gorge origin.
The Cascade Range derived its name from “the cascades,” the famous (dreaded) rapids that once straddled the Columbia River near cascade Locks and Stevenson, a few miles to our east.
These rapids are now submerged under the backwaters of Bonneville Dam.
You can see what's left of "the cascades", if you cross over the Bridge of the Gods.
4. Due to its extreme topographic transitions and good access, the Gorge is famous for its falls – the largest concentration of waterfalls in North America.
77 on the Oregon side alone, as well as the highest # visible from a roadside, in North America.
They come in all shapes and sizes.
We classify them into eight forms – plunge, horsetail, fan, cascade, punchbowl, block, tier, and segmented.
You will see examples of many of these waterfall types on your tour today . . .
5. The Gorge is also home to 14 species of plants, found nowhere else on the planet.
Due to the cold microclimate in the shadows of its high north-facing cliffs, the gorge also hosts over 30 sub alpine plant species, at elevations 2 to 3 thousand feet lower than anywhere else these plants can be found.
6. Despite its distance from the Pacific, tidal influence exists almost as far as Multnomah Falls.
The gorge was the first place Lewis & Clark encountered marine mammals and tidal water, on their epic westward journey.
