The 80-mile-long Gorge is a testament to the power of flowing water - over the eons, the mighty Columbia River has worn this deep gash into the volcanic rock of the Cascade Range nearly down to sea level. At points the canyon walls tower 4,000 feet above the river. Frequent rain nourishes a lush rain forest and replenishes the waters that cascade over sheer basalt cliffs into blinding cataracts - there are 77 waterfalls on the Oregon side of the Gorge alone. The western Gorge is dominated by the dark verdure of conifer, while also sheltering stands of big-leaf maple, cottonwood, Oregon ash, and vine maple. The eastern Gorge is home to Oregon oak and big-leaf maple.

For over 31,000 years, the Columbia River Gorge has supported flourishing civilizations. Evidence of the Folsom and Marmes people, who crossed the Great Continental Divide from Asia, were found in archaeological digs. Excavations at Five Mile Rapids, a few miles east of The Dalles, show humans have occupied this ideal salmon-fishing site for more than 10,000 years.

The Columbia River Gorge is also one of the Northwest's numerous world—class outdoor playgrounds. It's arguably the boardsailing capital of the world—it functions like a wind tunnel, generating 30-knot winds as pressure differentials in weather east and west of the Cascades find an outlet in the deep cut of the Gorge. Hiking to the Gorge's waterfalls is a Portland-area classic day trip, and in late fall and early spring, when the heights of the Cascades are buried beneath deep snow, the Gorge is the number-one option for area hikers and mountain bikers.