Top 100 Things to Do in White Salmon WA

White Salmon, Washington, may be a small town in the Columbia River Gorge, but there’s no limit to what you can do here in the USA’s largest national scenic area!  We have curated a “100 THINGS TO DO” list in and around White Salmon, on the Washington side of the Columbia River, just for you! Better start now!!

WINE in WHITE SALMON

  1. Plan a wine weekend–White Salmon has three Tasting Rooms Downtown and 10 WA wineries within 10 miles, including two annual Wine Walks in Spring during the White Salmon Wildflower Festival and in November to kick off our Dreaming of White Salmon holiday season.
  2. Sip a glass of wine and grab a snack at one of White Salmon’s three downtown Wine Bars – Le Doubble Troubble, Clyzm Wines, and Soča Wine Shop
  3. Tour and taste at our award-winning, family-owned boutique Columbia Gorge wineries to the East – Cor Cellars, Syncline Winery, and Domaine Pouillon
  4. Tour and taste at our award-winning, family-owned Columbia Gorge wineries to the West, on Underwood Mountain – Aniche Cellars, Hawkins Cellars, Willow Wine Cellars, Loop de Loop Wines, Savage Grace Wines, Southill Wines
  5. Indulge in Oyster Night on any given Thursday, year-round, at the Domaine Pouillon Wine Bistro, while enjoying a tasting flight, a glass or bottle of wine, and the stunning views of the Columbia River from the expansive deck with built-in seating
  6. Stop by the Tasting Room at Valo Cellars down the hill in Bingen, and try a wine flight or have a glass

 

DINE IN WHITE SALMON | FOOD & DRINK

  1. Pair a craft beer flight at Everybody’s Brewing with their famous nachos and check out the live music on most Monday nights or a “Winter Wednesday” game night, including bingo and puzzle competitions.  Be sure to book your weekend for the annual fall White Salmon Festival presented by Everybody’s Brewing!
  2. Stop by White Salmon Baking Co. for breakfast or lunch, and take some freshly baked bread or English muffins home with you
  3. Support our local farmers at the White Salmon Farmers Market at Rheingarten Park, on Tuesday’s from 4 to 7 PM, June through September
  4. Attend a Chefs Collective Dinner Series at RubyJune Inn – a multi-course dinner, sourced from local farms, paired with wines from the region and around the globe
  5. Grab an espresso, a cup of coffee and a breakfast burrito at Nativ Café – they also host game nights, live music and other events featuring local talent
  6. Get a specialty coffee drink at Bubba’s Brew, White Salmon’s beloved drive through
  7. Make a dinner reservation at Feast Deli & Marketplace or Henni’s Kitchen & Bar – both have a full bar for craft cocktails and a great wine selection
  8. Pick up your brewery passport and start collecting stamps
  9. Order “Monday Night Dinner” from 5 to 8 PM at Get Hu’sum BBQ (closed in the Winter)
  10. Visit White Salmon’s late night watering hole, the Tarwater Tavern, AKA TarBar, for a great cocktail and some karaoke, while mingling with the locals
  11. Try some Oaxacan food at Pixán Taqueria & Cantina and make sure to try one of their specialty mezcal cocktails
  12. Grab a slice of artisan pizza, a sandwich / salad or some soft serve ice cream at Pizza Leona
  13. Slurp on an ice cream cone at Cool Beans – they have a selection of classic ice cream flavors and espresso, with gluten/dairy free options available
  14. Order a latte, grab a pastry and watch the birds in the Winter and the kiteboarders in the Summer, from the deck of the new Confluence Café, in Lyle, WA, just a few miles up Hwy 14
  15. Order a craft cocktail at White Salmon’s newest glam cocktail bar, Gander & Goose, where owner Sam Schauer has been known to forage his own botanicals for special concoctions

explore white salmon wa

ART & HISTORY

  1. Spend an evening in downtown White Salmon on the Third Thursdays June – October for the Nights in White Salmon Makers Market
  2. Stop by the Gorge Heritage Museum – perfect for all the History buffs
  3. Check out the Randall Historical Red Barn on the corner of Bates and Bristol Rd off Snowden, and the painted water tower across the street
  4. Sign up for a workshop at the Gorge Makers Space, or attend one of their community events, including gift making nights for families or demonstrations by skilled local artists
  5. Visit the website for the White Salmon Arts Council to find out about random events and local talent
  6. Book your stay to take advantage of The Gorge Artists Open Studios Tour and see some of our incredibly talented artists’ work on display (last weekend in April)
  7. Check out the interactive chalkboard across the street from Town Hall and the White Salmon mural on the glassworks building by artist Ethan Radcliffe
  8. Hang out at the White Salmon library boasting views of Mt Hood, cool art and exhibits, and fun events for the kiddos

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OUTDOOR RECREATION & FITNESS

  1. Marvel at the beauty and take in the breathtaking views of Mt Hood (also known as Wy’East) visible from about any point in White Salmon
  2. Take a yoga class at Yoga Samadhi or a fitness class at the White Salmon Mt View Grange
  3. White Salmon Bike Park–Our family friendly non-motorized park, open from dawn until dusk
  4. Explore the hiking trails along Jewett Creek
  5. Try paragliding from Burdoin Mountain to Sailboard Park
  6. Stand Up Paddle Board, beginning at Bingen Harbor or try Wind River, a tributary of the Columbia River (the Wind River also offers canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing and swimming)
  7. Learn how to whitewater kayak – Lessons are available at our whitewater outfitters
  8. Visit Columbia Hills Historical State Park, a 3600 acre park that offers horseback riding, climbing and biking opportunities, or boat, paddleboard or windsurf and dive into history with a tour of the Native American petroglyphs
  9. Climb down into the ice caves (any time of year) and enjoy a picnic and a walk on the Natural Bridges Nature Trail – both the caves and natural bridges are formed out of collapsed lava tubes
  10. Hike Sleeping Beauty and be rewarded with views of Mt Hood, Mt Adams and Mt Rainier from the top
  11. Summit Mount Adams – at 12,281 feet, it is the second tallest peak in Washington
  12. Try White Salmon River Rafting – Perfect for beginners and advanced rafters alike and includes the nation’s tallest commercially raftable waterfall
  13. Don’t miss the wildflowers at Catherine Creek, one of the area’s most popular hikes
  14. Explore Gifford Pinchot National Forest–with 1.3 million acres, you will need more than one visit to this wondrous place
  15. Go boating and/or fishing via Marina Park
  16. Hike or mountain bike the Weldon Wagon Trail
  17. For a real workout, hike Dog Mountain – you will need a permit during certain times of the year, depending on the season (the wildflowers are abundant in the late Spring)
  18. Bike, hike or run on the 31-mile unpaved Klickitat Trail, offering non-stop jaw-dropping views that starts in one of the nation’s only National Scenic Areas, winds along a national designated Wild & Scenic River and finishes through a remote tributary canyon
  19. Mountain Bike Hospital Hill–A network of single-track trails, this park is located on private property, so please take note of posted rules
  20. SUP, fish, and camp at Takhlakh Lake at 4,400 feet and at the base of Mt Adams
  21. Be a trail angel and pass out food/drinks to the PCT through-hikers
  22. Try your hand at mushroom foraging
  23. Pick huckleberries, and be sure not to miss the annual Huckleberry Festival
  24. Sign up for the White Salmon Backyard Half Marathon & 4 Miler or the Wild Woman Trail Half Marathon/Marathon, Relay or 50K, or the White Salmon Wildflower Festival Half Marathon
  25. Join the White Salmon Space League for a group ride on the River
  26. Cross country ski, snowshoe or snowmobile
  27. Take a scenic drive East or West of White Salmon through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area featuring a 4000 ft deep canyon along the Columbia River
  28. Watch the White Salmon River rafters run Husum Falls, the largest commercially rafted waterfall in the United States – you can park close by and watch from the sidewalk on the bridge
  29. Enjoy a picnic at Northwestern Park – a beautiful spot along the White Salmon River to put your kayak in the water or just hang out
  30. Take a hike on Buck Creek Trail featuring old-growth ponderosa pines, while taking in the views of the White Salmon River canyon – a great hike to do when there is snow at higher elevations
  31. Rock climb at The Bypass, the local climbing spot with 13 leadable routes
  32. Stroll through the White Salmon Pioneer Park Cemetery, also unofficially our local dog-park–there is usually a bin of tennis balls hanging from the fence. In 1897, A.H. and Jennie Jewett deeded this parcel of land to be used for “burial purposes” – unused for years, until in 1962 the town cleaned up the property and moved the tombstones to the southwest corner
  33. On a hot day, take a short hike and jump into the cool creek below Dog Creek Falls
  34. Fish at Tunnel Lake – a backwater of the Columbia River, stocked with catchable-size and broodstock rainbow trout, yellow perch and a few largemouth bass
  35. Walk down to the White Salmon River at the BZ Corner Launch Site – you may get lucky enough to see some of the locals braving the rapids
  36. Hike Falls Creek Falls and then grab a flight of beer and a pizza at Backwoods Brewing Company
  37. Try out the Nestor Peak Hike – On a clear day, take in the view North across Penny Ridge to Monte Carlo and then Mount Adams – you will also get a view down the road to the Columbia River and the Hood River Valley, as well as Mount Hood to the South
  38. Hike Monte Cristo – a 4.1 mile hike with 400 feet gain into the small Monte Cristo range
  39. Birdwatch at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge
  40. Hike to Lake Wapiki, a blue lake nestled in a volcanic crater
  41. Camp at Goose Lake–family-friendly, and great for fishing, boating and swimming
  42. Kiteboard or windsurf at Sailboard Park
  43. Hike or mountain bike the Coyote Wall Loop, one of the best trail systems in the Gorge, located in Lyle, WA, just a few miles from White Salmon, or choose The Labyrinth to Coyote Wall Loop, with year-round with views of the Columbia River Gorge and an abundance of wildflowers in the Spring
  44. Hike the Lyle Cherry Orchard trail up to the bluff overlooking the Columbia River
  45. Take the kids to White Salmon’s Rheingarten Park
  46. Skateboard at the Bingen Skatepark
  47. Play pickleball or tennis on one of the four outdoor lighted courts in Rheingarten Park
  48. Grab some binoculars and head to the Balfour-Klickitat trail, a prime eagle watching spot during the Winter months here in the Gorge

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TOURS

  1. Make time for a FREE self-guided tour and drive through Schreiner Farms to see antelope, emu, ostrich, buffalo, camels, giraffes, llamas and zebras (they ask that you please stay in your car)
  2. Take a self-guided tour through the Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery (visitors can grab a brochure at the parking area) As the summer ends in late August and early September, Chinook salmon begin returning to the Hatchery
  3. Go on a Canyon Tour or Guided Hike with Cascade Canyon Guides or a Kayaking/Rafting Tour with our Whitewater Outfitters.

SHOP

  1. Visit one of our many Antique and Vintage shops in and around White Salmon – Marcel, Sun Sun, Pucker Huddle Goods, and the largest antique store in the Gorge, Antiques & Oddities
  2. Browse some beautiful handmade stoneware at Klickitat Pottery (or visit their Etsy store)
  3. Buy yourself or someone you love, a one-of-a-kind, handmade piece of jewelry at TruDesign or M.E. jewelry (sold in Arrowleaf Workshop)
  4. Shop until you drop at our beautiful downtown boutiques – Arrowleaf Workshop and Blackbird + Ivory, focused on sustainable style and handcrafted goods
  5. Peruse the bulk fresh tea selection at Tea Lyn’s Tea & Gift Shop (and grab a cigar, if that’s your thing)
  6. Find the perfect used book at The Book Peddler, located in the heart of downtown
  7. Book a class or workshop at the Rooted Center Studio, situated in the back of the beautiful Moon Mountain Highway mercantile, where you will find hand-crafted, artisan jewelry, textiles and more

AND MORE

  1. Schedule an appointment for a beard trim, straight razor shave, facial massage or a scalp treatment at Goodfellows Tonsorial Parlor (shoot a game of pool and grab a Rainier out of the fridge while you wait)
  2. Get married at the Tin Roof Barn nestled within the rolling hills, apple orchards, and green pastures of the White Salmon River Valley or The Garage in Bingen, a full service event center
  3. Smile at a monk
  4. Take an Amtrak ride from the Bingen-White Salmon Amtrak train station
  5. Schedule a tea ceremony for you and your friends at Mesmerized Gallery
  6. Book a service at Satori White Salmon – choose from tattoo and piercing options to full body waxing, facials, brow microblading and lash extensions
  7. Snag an appointment at Candy’s Spa for a premium mani / pedi
  8. Donate to Culture Seed, our local non-profit organization, offering free and ongoing outdoor immersion and mental health for Columbia Gorge youth
  9. Book a stay in our newest luxury hotel, the Hotel Iconica, with its stunning rooftop views of Mt Hood, or our charming eco-lodge, The Inn of the White Salmon, with a beautiful patio and garden area
  10. Live like a local and book a White Salmon Airbnb
  11. Stay in a treehouse
  12. Be on the lookout for Huxley, the unofficial Mayor of White Salmon, and the cutest feline in town
  13. Drive up Dock Grade Road during the Holidays and be dazzled by the ornaments hanging from the cascading tree branches
  14. WHY STOP at 100?! Experience a small town 4th of July parade or White Salmon’s famous Halloween Fest in the streets of downtown
  15. Kick off Hispanic Heritage Month by attending the El Grito Fiesta in White Salmon annually in September at Rhinegarten Park.

CONTACT US with any questions regarding our 101 Things to Do!  And yes, we did have fun with this photo!