White Salmon, Washington, is located in the Pacific Northwest (upper left USA) and is surrounded by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River. Up to 4,000 feet deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. If you love outdoor recreation, natural beauty, and fantastic food and drinks, consider White Salmon, WA, for your next adventure.
White Salmon – your Columbia River Gorge base camp as a home or a place to relax and explore!
Explore White Salmon combines all of the great things about White Salmon in one place! Check out our list of over 100 things to do in and around White Salmon. White Salmon is easily accessible from Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.
White Salmon WA History
White Salmon was home to the Klickitat Tribe (now part of the Yakama Nation) before non-natives arrived. Lewis and Clark named the White Salmon River, as they observed the white-fleshed salmon being caught and dried by the natives at the mouth of the river. The town of White Salmon was named after these salmon as well.
The first non-natives to settle in White Salmon were Erastus and Mary Joslyn in 1853. Erastus and Mary purchased land from the Klickitat Tribe. The Klickitats helped them build their farm just east of the White Salmon River and protected them during the Yakama Indian War.
White Salmon was officially incorporated on June 3, 1907. Within the same year, non-natives (white immigrants) quickly settled the region by making land claims. Today, White Salmon’s population is around 2500.
Learn more about White Salmon’s History and Historic Places.
Temperatures and Weather
You will enjoy the winds in the summer, cooling you off on a hot summer day. And you can always count on those beautiful warm summer nights. If it gets too warm for you in White Salmon during the summer, drive up to Gifford Pinchot National Forest and cool-off in a mountain lake, creek, or waterfall. And, of course, you can always head to the Columbia River for a dip.
Enjoy all of the beautiful trails for hiking and biking in the fall. Fall is also a great time to visit a farm stand for amazing apples and pears or a winery. During the winter, you have snow parks in the national forests and skiing at Mount Hood.
Around Town
If you live in one of the neighborhoods surrounding our “downtown,” you don’t need a car to access most of what you need. One can walk to the library, grocery store, hardware store, and pharmacy. And that’s just the essentials! The best part is walking to a fantastic bakery, coffee, shop, brewery, and a handful of restaurants serving up locally sourced dishes.
Mountains, Rivers and Roads
White Salmon, WA, is located east of Portland, Oregon, 550 feet on a bluff above the Columbia River in the largest national scenic area in America, the Columbia River Gorge, and home of the White Salmon Wildflower Festival. The one-hour drive from Portland, OR (or Vancouver, WA) to White Salmon, WA, will leave you wondering how on earth you haven’t discovered the Columbia River Gorge until now. White Salmon is at the center of the Pacific Northwest kiteboarding and whitewater scene. On any given day, our main street will be lined with cars, pickups, and sprinter vans topped with kayaks and SUPS with mountain and road bike adornments. The median age of folks living here is 41, and you can feel the vibrancy!
White Salmon is a laid-back mountain town with a vibrant art scene filled with folks who love the outdoors, craft beer, tasty wine, and good food. All year-round kayakers come from around the world to kayak our rivers and waterfalls, kite-boarders and windsurfers gather here in the summer, mountain bikers start hitting it hard in the spring, paragliders love the bluffs, skiers and snowboarders thrash the Hood, snowmobilers ride the national forest, and hikers love the variety of hikes all year round. In White Salmon, you will feel like a local but with all the benefits of the Columbia River Gorge, White Salmon River, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, and the Mt Adams Wilderness. You also get a fantastic view of Mt Hood from almost any location in White Salmon.
White Salmon, Washington, is a special place. It has that small-town mountain community feel, with restaurants and a brewery rivaling the best of Portland, three wine-tasting rooms, and surrounded by world-class wineries. Add in a vibrant downtown, all within walking distance to most of the neighborhoods and Airbnb’s surrounding the one-street downtown.
We are a group of locals who love our community. We are here to share with you everything we love about White Salmon, Washington.
WELCOME!
Here are some recent comments from White Salmon Studio guests:
“White Salmon is my new favorite little town.”
“This location was perfect! We had such a blast exploring the food, coffee, breweries and wineries in White Salmon!”
“The location is ideal for exploring both the WA & OR side of the Gorge. You can take a quick stroll up the street to several great spots such as the White Salmon Baking Co.”
“Came for kiteboarding lessons and this was a perfect location. Quick drive to the beach and steps away from restaurants. Will return for sure.”
“Great space with excellent amenities and homey touches. It is close to a pharmacy, hardware store, grocery store and some good restaurants (Everybody’s was definitely our favorite.) Appreciated that White Salmon was smaller and not as touristy, but close to so many great places to hike and bike. We’re already talking about when we can go back because we felt so comfortable!”
“The studio is close to some of the best hiking in the gorge. We went to Coyote Wall, but there are really so many good hikes to choose from on both the Washington side and the Oregon side of the river that you’re really spoiled for choice. After a nice hike, you’re in the perfect place to hydrate with my favorite electrolyte replacement beverage: beer! Overall, this is just a really great place to stay. We will not hesitate to stay here again the next time we are visiting the Columbia River Gorge area.”
“Perfect spot for a Gorge getaway weekend!”
“When planning our trip we weren’t sure whether to stay on the White Salmon or Hood River side, and are happy we chose White Salmon as it has a great view of Mt Hood.”
“Location is great for bouncing around some neat places along the Columbia. We really enjoyed the little town of White Salmon. It snowed while we were there which added to the charm.”