Could the Columbia Gorge offer European-style town-to-town hiking?
Renee Tkach, January 28 2014
Five years ago, the Columbia Gorge was voted the sixth best place in the world to visit by National Geographic's Traveler Magazine -- beating out places like the Serengeti and Tuscany.
Now Friends of the Columbia Gorge brings a world class vision to our world class destination: meet the Gorge Town to Trails Project.
We feel the Gorge is primed and ready for a model similar to popular European town-to-town hiking destinations like Italy’s Cinque Terre and the Czech Greenways' hiking system, both of which offer hikers leisurely treks punctuated by the best local food and drink.
Imagine lacing up your boots for a hike in the Gorge -- except this time, the incredible views and fields of wildflowers are interspersed with trailside stops at wineries and farm stands. And at the end of your sojourn, you’re rewarded with dinner at gourmet eateries, local wines and hand-crafted beer, and a night’s rest at a comfy bed and breakfast, lodge or hotel.
With Gorge Towns to Trails, launched in 2011, we envision a comprehensive 200-mile-plus trail system that wraps around the Columbia Gorge. Our trail system will link communities with recreation, benefiting tourism and encouraging hikers and trail users to leave behind an economic footprint by making a weekend out of their play-time in the Gorge.
Some aspects are already in place, with our 40,000-plus acres of public lands and multitudes of hiking trails -- from the Dalles Riverfront Trail, to Oregon’s Historic Highway connecting Hood River to Mosier, to Washington’s Cape Horn Trail, located between Washougal and Stevenson.
But some of our most exciting work is just getting underway.
This spring, we’re launching a brand-new Play and Stay program, which upscales our hiking program with overnight incentives and evening activities -- like pairing wines and hikes in Mosier or evening education programs hosted at your hotel.
Another exciting development this year is our partnership with Skamania County Public Transit. Starting in May and running through October, you’ll have the ability to cross the Columbia to the Washington side via public transit: accessing trails, businesses, towns and lodging in Skamania County. Stay tuned, as the schedule and hike guide is still being developed for this new program.
If you're passionate about the Columbia Gorge, brace yourself -- because we think your love affair might have just begun!
Renee returned to Friends of the Columbia Gorge in 2011 as the project manager for Gorge Towns to Trails, a project that supports land protection, recreation enhancements and economic development. Renee is also a founding member of Cape Horn Conservancy and serves on the board of Trailkeepers of Oregon. Renee is eager to share with the public the ways Friends is working to promote more hiking opportunities in the Gorge.
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