The Cascades - Washington State - page 316

peaks in the state. Though few get to this massive peak, those who do often
make the strenuous, though non-technical, climb to the mountain's summit.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Wash. 14 parallels the Columbia River from Vancouver
through the Columbia Gorge and into eastern Washington. Mount Adams lies
to the north of the Gorge and is accessed via Wash. 141 from White Salmon.
VISITOR INFORMATION For more information on the Columbia Gorge,
contact the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, 902 Wasco Ave., Suite
200, Hood River, OR 97031 ( & 541/386-2333; www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia).
There's also a Forest Service Information Center in the lobby of Skamania
Lodge, 1131 SW Skamania Lodge Dr. ( & 509/427-2528 ), in Stevenson, Wash-
ington. Information is also available from the Skamania County Chamber of
Commerce, P.O. Box 1037, Stevenson, WA 98648 ( & 800/989-9178 or 509/
427-8911; www.skamania.org). For detailed information on the Oregon side of
the Columbia Gorge, see Frommer's Oregon (Wiley Publishing, Inc.).
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GORGE
Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Focusing on the Gorge's early
Native American inhabitants and the development of the area by white settlers,
this museum is your single best introduction to the Columbia Gorge. Exhibits
contain historical photographs by Edward Curtis and others that illustrate the
story of portage companies and paddle-wheelers that once operated along this
stretch of the Columbia River. A 37-foot-high replica of a 19th-century fish
wheel gives an understanding of how salmon runs have been threatened in the
past and the present. Displays also frankly discuss other problems that the com-
ing of civilization brought to this area. A slide program tells the history of the
formation of the Gorge, and when the volcanoes erupt, the floor in the theater
actually shakes from the intensity of the low-volume sound track. When it's not
cloudy, the center has an awesome view of the south side of the Gorge.
990 SW Rock Creek Dr., Stevenson. & 800/991-2338 or 509/427-8211. www.columbiagorge.org. Admission
$6 adults, $5 seniors and students, $4 children 6-12, free for children 5 and under. Daily 10am-5pm. Closed
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
EXPLORING THE GORGE
Heading east from Vancouver, Wash. 14 passes through the industrial towns of
Camas and Washougal before finally breaking free of the Portland/Vancouver
metropolitan area. For much of the way, the highway stays close to the river, but
at Cape Horn, an area where basalt cliffs rise straight out of the water, the high-
way climbs high above the river, providing one of the best views along this
stretch of the highway. Several pull-offs let you stop and enjoy the views.
Roughly 35 miles east of Vancouver, you come to Beacon Rock, an 800-foot-
tall monolith that has a 1-mile trail to its summit. The trail, which for much of
the way consists of metal stairways and catwalks, was built between 1915 and
1918 by Henry Biddle, who saved Beacon Rock from being blasted into rubble
for a jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River. Continuing east, you'll come to
Stevenson, which is the site of the above-mentioned Columbia Gorge Interpretive
Center.
In the town of North Bonneville, a few miles west of Stevenson, you can swim
in the hot-springs-fed pool and soak in the tubs at Bonneville Hot Springs
Resort, 1252 E. Cascade Dr. ( & 866/459-1678 or 509/427-7767; www.
bonnevilleresort.com), which charges $10 per day for the use of its pool and