Last Updated on April 27, 2026
Located 60 miles from downtown Portland, Hood River, OR is a world away from the city. Known for its watersports, this small town in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge offers adventures that draw on the area’s natural beauty and edible bounty.
Misty waterfalls cascade in verdant glens. Paved trails, free of cars, reward walkers and bikers with views of the river. A community of farms and craft brewers awaits just down the road on the Fruit Loop. Wineries abound. Boutiques, farm-to-table restaurants and coffee shops fill downtown Hood River’s old brick buildings.
In this weekend itinerary, I’ll share the best places to play, shop, sip, and indulge in culinary delights in Hood River.
Table Of Contents
Friday: Arrival
- Check In: Hood River Hotel
- Dinner: Sushi Okalani
Saturday: Waterfalls and Wine Tasting
- Breakfast: Broder Ost
- Morning: Touring Waterfalls on the Historic Columbia River Highway
- Lunch: Solstice Wood Fire Pizza and Bar
- Afternoon: Exploring Downtown Hood River: Wine, Art and Shopping
- Dinner: pFriem Family Brewers Tasting Room
Sunday: E-Bike Ride and the Fruit Loop
- Breakfast: Ground Espresso Bar & Cafe
- Morning: E-Biking on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
- Lunch: The Gorge White House
- Afternoon: Exploring the Fruit Loop
Friday: Arrival and Hotel Check In
For more than a century, the historic Hood River Hotel has welcomed guests to downtown. Full of vintage details and modern comforts, the hotel offers guests a restful retreat only steps away from shops and restaurants.
The hotel offers 41 rooms and suites, as well as the Bunkhouse, a hostel-style space that sleeps up to 10. Among the fun features you might find in your room: authentic and functional steam radiators, phonographs and vinyl records and antique doorknobs. One of my favorite details: the Lift, the quirky vintage elevator.
Amenities include free WiFi, a photobooth in the lobby, an art station, a sauna, event space, and free coffee and tea. Dogs are welcome.
Pro Tip: Rooms facing Oak Street are quieter than those facing the railroad tracks.
Dinner at Sushi Okalani
Located across First Street from the Hood River Hotel, Sushi Okalani is known for its fresh ingredients and carefully crafted rolls. Try one of the chef’s choice sushi platters, such as the Pololi Platter, with an assortment of California rolls, Thai salmon rolls, shrimp tempura and other rolls. The restaurant also serves non-sushi entrees.
Pro Tip: If you’re tired or the restaurant seems crowded, order your food to go and relax with dinner in your room.
Saturday: Waterfalls and Wine Tasting
Breakfast at Broder Ost
Kick-start your day with hearty Nordic breakfast favorites at Broder Ost, the cafe next door to the Hood River Hotel. Indulge in the Swedish breakfast board, a feast that includes eggs, granola parfait, cheeses, smoked trout, ham, Danish rye and other delights. Simpler breakfast entrees include Danish pancakes with lingonberry jam, egg scrambles, and fruit fritters with maple syrup.
Pro Tip: Order some fruit fritters to go — they make a delicious afternoon snack.
Morning: Waterfalls on the Historic Columbia River Highway
Designed in the 1920s to showcase the beauty of the gorge, the historic Columbia River Highway (Hwy 30) is often considered the country’s first scenic byway. The stretch between Corbett and Dodson features old stone walls, sinuous curves, dramatic viewpoints and seven waterfalls. Parking is limited. You’ll need a timed permit to visit Multnomah Falls in your own car between late May and September. Shuttle buses, such as the Waterfall Trolley, provide an easy way to visit the falls.
Pro tip: Check the weather forecast for Multnomah Falls or Cascade Locks before you go. It can be sunny in Hood River while it rains all day in the waterfall corridor.
Too much rain? Head to a museum instead of the waterfalls.
The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) displays more than 200 fully functional antique airplanes and cars, plus motorcycles and helicopters. The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum illustrates the region’s history. Walk through a pioneer town, meet a life-size mammoth, and learn about the native peoples of the Columbia River gorge.
Lunch: Solstice Wood Fire Pizza and Bar
The waterfront Solstice Wood Fire Pizza and Bar makes excellent pizza, cocktails and mocktails. Design your own custom pizza or choose from a list of gourmet pizza combinations featuring fresh, local ingredients. One to try: The Cremini, with Hood River Organic Cremini mushrooms, goat cheese, mozzarella, pecorino, lemon zest and truffle oil. The pizza dough is made in-house, and gluten-free crust is available, too.
Afternoon: Wine, Art and Shopping
Downtown Hood River is full of art galleries, tasting rooms, and locally owned boutiques and bookstores. It’s easy just to wander and discover a new favorite wine or gallery.
The Pines 1852, Little Bastions, and Cascade Cliffs Winery all have tasting rooms on or near Oak Street. A must-visit for wine lovers is Porron Cellars wine bar, which features a different wine region each week.
Next door to Little Bastions is Hood River Distillers, the Pacific Northwest’s oldest and largest distillery. The company started with apple and pear brandies made from fruit from local orchards and has expanded into vodka, gin, rum, and whiskey.
For handcrafted souvenirs and gifts, stop by Made In The Gorge. Must-visit art galleries include 301 Gallery and Art on Oak, an artist cooperative.
A few other fun boutiques include Twiggs (unique home goods and jewelry), Alpine Sea (hand-sewn bags and accessories), Parts + Labour and Ruddy Duck (women’s clothing), and Waucoma Bookstore (books, toys, and gifts).
Dinner: pFriem Family Brewers Tasting Room
Located in the waterfront district, the cozy pFriem Family Brewers Tasting Room offers an eclectic menu, beer on tap, and a view of the brewery tanks. Choose from seasonal offerings, such as beer-braised pork shoulder, or pub fare such as burgers, fish and chips, and mac and cheese. For a light dinner, pair one of the creative salads — think sweet roasted beets, mixed greens, and chevre — and the soup of the day.
Sunday: E-Bike Ride and the Fruit Loop
Breakfast: Ground Espresso Bar & Cafe
Fuel up for your morning adventures with a breakfast sandwich or yogurt bowl at Ground Espresso Bar and Cafe, about a block from the Hood River Hotel. One to try: the Sweet Spot: egg, creamy brie, tart granny smith apple slices, local marionberry jam and your choice of bacon, sausage or ham, all on a homemade English muffin. At lunch time, the cafe also serves sandwiches on locally baked sour dough bread.
Morning: E-Biking on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
Spend the morning e-bicycling on a paved, car-free route that cruises through forests and grassy open sections above the Columbia River. Starting in downtown Hood River, you’ll ride a short distance on the road to reach the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, which is closed to cars for the 4.6 miles between Hood River and Mosier. Along the way, you’ll be treated to panoramic views of the gorge and the Mosier Twin Tunnels, blasted from solid basalt and lit by windows overlooking the river.
The e-bike I rented from Mountain View Cycles proved beginner-friendly and essential for climbing hills and riding into the wind. With directions from the staff at Mountain View, I felt confident and safe riding solo, but several local companies also offer group tours.
Lunch: The Gorge White House
One of the first stops on the Fruit Loop driving tour, The Gorge White House is a great place for lunch before exploring the rest of the loop. The food cart in the backyard of the historic home dishes up sweet and savory flatbread creations, burgers made with local beef and homemade buns, and sandwiches. Eat indoors in the cozy wine tasting room, or sit outside on the patio and enjoy the farm views. All items can be made gluten-free.
Afternoon: Exploring the Fruit Loop
If you had lunch at The Gorge White House, you’re already on the Fruit Loop, a 35-mile drive through orchards, fields of flowers, farm stands, wineries, cideries and other fruit-rich stops. Pick up a brochure before you leave town, or grab one at one of the 32 stops along the route.
Which businesses are open depends on the season and the day, so check each business’s website — or just stop by the open signs. Summer is high season, but I found many wineries and a handful of other businesses open even before the blossoms draw crowds in April and May.
Mt. Hood Winery’s stunning views of Mt. Hood and award-winning wine make it worth a visit. Don’t miss the pies and fruit empanadas at Packer Orchards & Bakery. For gourmet souvenirs, shop at the Draper Girls Country Farm store.
My weekend in Hood River mixed outdoor adventure with art, wine, shopping and the fresh fruit delights of the Fruit Loop. Whether you’re passionate about waterfalls or wine, biking or berries (or all of the above), Hood River will leave you wanting to discover more of this town in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge.
