All road trips
Road trip · loop

Columbia Gorge and Central Oregon loop from Portland

A loop from Portland to Hood River, Mount Hood, Smith Rock and Bend. For kiteboarders, mountain bikers, climbers and hikers.

Fly into Portland (PDX)Best Jul-Sep4 stops377 mi / 607 km9.1 h driving11 days suggestedLoop, back to the startUnited States
KiteboardingMountain BikingClimbingHikingSkiingKayakingSurfingRunning

When: Hood River wind peaks Jun-Aug and Mount Hood's high trails open Jul-Sep; Smith Rock lists Jun-Aug as too hot (climb at dawn or on shaded walls), so September is the one month that suits every stop.

Getting there: Fly into PDX; major rental companies at the airport.

Customize this trip

Route: OpenStreetMap road data (OSRM). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Spots: OpenBeta and our guides.

Day by day · 10 nights, 11 days

  1. Start in Portland (PDX): pick up the carDrive to Hood River: 60 mi / 97 km · 1 h 18 min
  2. 1

    Hood River

    OR, United States

    91Adventure Score

    Suggested stay: 3 nights

    Windsport capital of the Columbia River Gorge, with whitewater, big-volcano skiing and Post Canyon singletrack within 30 minutes.

    Biggest draw
    • The Hook and Event Site · 5.0/5 · KiteboardingWindsurfing hub just west of Waterfront Park; the Event Site next door is the rigging and events area. Per Kitesurfing Magazine the Event Site and marina are off limits for pumping and launching kites; kiters use the sandbar.
    Also here
    • Hood River Sandbar (the Spit) · 5.0/5 · Kiteboarding
    • Post Canyon · 4.8/5 · Mountain Biking
    • Syncline and Coyote Wall · 4.8/5 · Mountain Biking
    Full Hood River guide →
    Drive to Mount Hood (Government Camp): 44 mi / 71 km · 1 h 6 min
  3. 2

    Mount Hood (Government Camp)

    OR, United States

    90Adventure Score

    Suggested stay: 2 nights

    Oregon's glaciated volcano, with four ski areas, Timberline's near year-round skiing, 40 miles of loop trail and a one-hour drive from Portland.

    Biggest draw
    • Timberline Trail · 5.0/5 · Hiking40.7-mile loop around the mountain (Trail 600), highest point 7,300 ft with about 9,000 ft of elevation change; mid-July to early October. Streams and washouts such as Eliot Creek can be hazardous.
    Also here
    • Timberline Lodge ski area · 4.3/5 · Skiing
    • Mount Hood Meadows · 4.3/5 · Skiing
    • Mount Hood Skibowl · 4.3/5 · Skiing
    Full Mount Hood (Government Camp) guide →
    Drive to Smith Rock: 87 mi / 140 km · 2 h 6 min
  4. 3

    Smith Rock

    OR, United States

    77Adventure Score

    Suggested stay: 2 nights

    Where American sport climbing was born — and still perfected

    Biggest draw
    • Smith Rock · ClimbingThe birthplace of American sport climbing. Welded tuff towers and walls above the Crooked River with hundreds of world-c
    Also here
    • Smith Rock State Park · Climbing
    Full Smith Rock guide →
    Drive to Bend: 26 mi / 42 km · 0 h 42 min
  5. 4

    Bend

    OR, United States

    91Adventure Score

    Suggested stay: 3 nights

    A sunny high-desert town at the foot of the Cascades, with a ski mountain, a river in the middle of town and hundreds of miles of singletrack within minutes.

    Biggest draw
    • Phil's Trail Complex · 5.0/5 · Mountain BikingBend's main mountain-bike network in the Deschutes National Forest, started in the 1980s and now maintained by volunteers of the Central Oregon Trail Alliance. Some trails are one-way, so follow the signs.
    Also here
    • Wanoga Trail System · 5.0/5 · Mountain Biking
    • Mt. Bachelor Bike Park · 5.0/5 · Mountain Biking
    • Mt. Bachelor Ski Area · 3.6/5 · Skiing
    Full Bend guide →
    Drive back to Portland: 160 mi / 257 km · 3 h 54 min
  6. Back in Portland: drop the car and fly home.
Plan it

WHEN, HOW FAR, WHAT TO BRING

When to go

Best: Jul-Sep. Hood River wind peaks Jun-Aug and Mount Hood's high trails open Jul-Sep; Smith Rock lists Jun-Aug as too hot (climb at dawn or on shaded walls), so September is the one month that suits every stop.

All 4 stops are in peak or shoulder season in Apr-May, Sep.

Number = stops in peak or shoulder season that month. Darker = more stops at peak.

  • Hood River: peak Jun-Aug, avoid Jan-Feb, Nov-Dec
  • Mount Hood (Government Camp): peak Jan-Mar, Jul-Sep, Dec, avoid Oct-Nov
  • Smith Rock: peak Apr-May, Sep-Oct, avoid Jun-Aug
  • Bend: peak Jan-Feb, Jul-Aug, Dec, avoid Nov

Driving split

9.1 h on the road over 5 drives: about 1.8 h per drive on average, 377 mi (607 km) in total.

Longest day: Bend to Portland, 3 h 54 min.

No single drive is over 6 hours.

Drive times are free-flow estimates from OpenStreetMap roads, without stops, traffic or border queues.

Sports and gear

  • Climbing · every stopBring: harness, shoes, helmet, rope and quickdraws (or rent locally).
  • Hiking · every stopBring: boots, layers, map or offline maps, water.
  • Running · every stopBring: trail shoes, hydration vest, headlamp for long days.
  • Mountain Biking · Hood River, Mount Hood (Government Camp), BendBring: helmet, gloves, pads; check the bike-park pass and bike rental.
  • Skiing · Hood River, Mount Hood (Government Camp), BendBring: skis or rental, avalanche kit for backcountry, goggles, layers.
  • Kayaking · Hood River, Mount Hood (Government Camp), BendBring: PFD, helmet, dry layers; many rivers need a guide or permit.
  • Kiteboarding · Hood River, Mount Hood (Government Camp)Bring: kite gear or lessons, harness, wetsuit, impact vest.
  • Surfing · Hood RiverBring: board (or rent), wetsuit for the water temperature, leash.
More routes

OTHER ROAD TRIPS

Keep planning

MAKE IT YOURS.

Change the stops and nights in the builder, or start from your own front door.

Customize this tripAll road tripsFind a tripDestinations