Credit: Jon Kraft

Car-Free Trips to the Columbia River Gorge

Avoid the hassle of driving to the gorge with these car-free travel tips.

Updated Oct. 4, 2023 3 min read

Know Before You Go

For information regarding what trails and campsites are open, please visit the U.S. Forest Service; Ready, Set, Gorge; Friends of the Gorge. For road conditions and closures, visit ODOT.

First published on TravelOregon.com.

With its cascading waterfalls, hills full of wildflowers and sparkling river views, touring the Columbia River Gorge is easily one of the most scenic routes you can take in all of Oregon.

But what if you could see the sights without having to drive? Thanks to shuttle services and scenic bike routes, visitors can check out a few new ways to explore the gorge car-free.

low clouds break with a blue sky mirroring the wide blue river surrounded by coniferous forest — Columbia River Gorge, Crown Point Vista House in view USAGE RIGHTS EXPIRE JULY 1, 2027

person looks at sun setting in Columbia River Gorge with view of river and Rooster Rock — sunset above Rooster Rock on the Columbia River Gorge USAGE RIGHTS EXPIRE JULY 1, 2027

Know Before You Go

To learn more about visiting the gorge without a car, check out Columbia Gorge Car-Free.

Shuttles

Provided by Columbia Area Transit (CAT), the Columbia Gorge Express offers $10 daily service from East Portland’s Gateway Transit Center to Troutdale, Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks, Hood River, Mosier (by request only) and The Dalles. (Gorge Annual passes are also available for $40.) Cyclists can even get aboard, with three bike spaces on each bus.

Looking for a longer tour? From May to October, Gray Line Tours offers a half-day luxury coach tour to the gorge, for a round-trip fare of $64 to and from downtown Portland. The four-and-a-half-hour tour stops at Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls and Lodge and the Bonneville Dam and fish ladder, a national historic site in the heart of the gorge.

America’s Hub World Tours offers a guided Mt. Hood loop tour, half- or full-day gorge tour and a special wine-lovers gorge tour year-round, with pre-arranged pickups and drop-offs from downtown Portland. The full-day tour covers each of the Gray Line’s stops, plus more at Timberline Lodge, Crown Point Vista House and Hood River, where visitors can explore before hopping on for the return trip.

By Bike

True cyclists will love riding the entire 100-year-old Historic Columbia River Highway, with a connecting motorized-vehicle-free state trail on parts of the old highway. The Troutdale to Cascade Locks segment passes by multiple waterfalls, Crown Point Vista House and the Bridge of the Gods. The following Cascade Locks to Hood River segment features a new car-free segment of the restored state trail from Starvation Creek Trailhead to Viento State Park. The Hood River to The Dalles segment includes a beautiful 4-mile car-free leg that goes through the Mosier Twin Tunnels, followed by a ride to the picture-worthy Rowena Crest Viewpoint and Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. (Tip: avoid crowds at the pit-stops by taking the reverse route, starting in The Dalles and ending in Portland.)

Even where you share the road with auto traffic, low speed limits and scenic views make it a must for experienced road cyclists. Find handy maps with detailed elevations, route cues and scenic points of interest from the Oregon Department of Transportation and Portland Office of Transportation.

However you get to the Gorge, there’s plenty to discover all summer long, including special hikes, bike rides, runs, concerts, festivals and parades. Check out the Columbia River Gorge Visitors Association for maps and other attractions.