The scenic heart of the river
Sailing through The Columbia River Gorge
The Gorge is the part of the trip people book it for. It's a run of waterfalls, locks and orchards rather than one port — and on its Venture round trip Lindblad doesn't say whether its call is The Dalles or Hood River.
- 611 ftMultnomah Falls, as ACL cites it
- 848 ftBeacon Rock, Lindblad's optional hike
- $12Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, adults
- 1st of 8Bonneville is the first lock heading upriver
- From the shipShip tours; berth unpublished
- Time neededTwo Gorge days on Lindblad
- Best doneSpring for falls, fall for fruit
- Skip ifYou've driven the Gorge; watch it from deck
Plan the call
How long do you have ashore?
- Bonneville Lock and Dam45 min
The first of eight locks, with fish ladders to watch.
- Multnomah Falls60 min
A scheduled Lindblad stop; ask about the 2027 permit.
- Columbia Gorge Discovery Center90 min
Live raptors, and the Syncline Winery event on Lindblad.
About 3 h 15 for the day, by our planning estimate
- Bonneville Lock and Dam60 min
Naturalists on the dams' history as the ship passes through.
- Multnomah Falls60 min
Cited at 611 feet; the permit rules for 2027 are pending.
- Beacon Rock90 min
Lindblad's optional hike up the 848-foot basalt column.
- Columbia Gorge Discovery Center90 min
At 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles; open 9 am to 5 pm.
- Hood River Fruit Loop90 min
Apples and pears in season; Kiyokawa lists 92 apple varieties.
About 6 h 30 for the day, by our planning estimate
Times are our planning estimates for a typical call, not the line’s schedule. Your daily programme sets the all-aboard.
The call
What the Gorge days look like
On Lindblad's 8-day eastbound Sea Bird, Day 3 is the Gorge. The ship passes through Bonneville Lock and Dam with naturalists on the dams' 'controversial history'.
Then Multnomah Falls, with an optional hike up Beacon Rock, and a private Syncline Winery event at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center in The Dalles.
Day 4 carries on through the Gorge onto the Columbia Plateau, with a geologist on the glacial floods of about 13,000 years ago and a historian on the Corps of Discovery.
On the Venture round trip the Gorge is Day 2, with a call at 'The Dalles or Hood River' on Day 5. ACL boards its Grand cruise at Stevenson, in the Gorge itself.
From the ship: The Gorge comes to you by ship's tour: Multnomah Falls, Beacon Rock and the Discovery Center are spread along the river, and the berth isn't published.
In town
Dam, falls and rock
Bonneville Lock and Dam
The first of the eight locks on the way upriver. The visitor centres let you watch fish on the ladders; check current hours if you're going independently.
SourceMultnomah Falls
A scheduled Lindblad stop, cited by ACL at 611 feet. In summer 2026 a Forest Service timed-use permit applied daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and it has ended for the season. The 2027 rules are pending, and no line says whether cruise groups are exempt — ask.
SourceBeacon Rock
Lindblad's optional hike up an 848-foot basalt column, the Washington-side landmark of the Gorge.
SourceColumbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum
At 5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day; adults $12, seniors $10, ages 6 to 16 $7, with live raptor presentations included. Lindblad's page also mentions about 15,000 years of cultural history and a working steam engine.
SourceThe Columbia River Gorge on the Columbia and Snake; the Gorge is a scenic stretch between Portland and The Dalles, so the map shows the river, not a pin. Open its card on the river map for lines, season and nearby calls.
Beyond the town
Orchards, wineries and the mountain
Hood River Fruit Loop
A route of family farms in Hood River County, with U-pick generally from June to October or November. Kiyokawa Family Orchards lists 92 apple varieties and 3 acres of Asian pears. ACL lists Hood River as a port; Lindblad doesn't mention the Loop.
SourceMount St. Helens
ACL's 5-day Columbia cruise names the mountain and the Johnston Ridge Observatory. It's a coach excursion, not a stop on the river.
SourceMaryhill Winery and other Gorge wineries
ACL lists Maryhill Winery and Rivaura Winery on its Grand cruise. Lindblad's Syncline event is its Gorge wine moment.
SourceA Gorge flightseeing tour
ACL lists flightseeing among its activities, and Viator lists 20- and 35-minute air tours.
SourceExtra days, booked ahead
Things to do in the Columbia River Gorge
All three leave from Portland, so they suit the day before you sail.
- Columbia River Gorge waterfalls half-day tour3.5 to 4 hours. More time at the falls than the cruise allows.
- Mt Hood, Multnomah Falls and Hood River day8.5 hours. Adds the Hood River end that cruise itineraries touch only briefly.
- Waterfalls and wine tour6 to 8 hours. A longer wine afternoon in the Gorge.
Viator is an affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you. Your line’s included excursions stay with the line. Disclosure.
Eat and drink
Gorge wine and orchard fruit
Gorge wine at a private event
Lindblad describes a private Syncline Winery event at the Discovery Center, with canapés and wine.
SourceHood River pears and apples
Fruit Loop farms such as Kiyokawa and Mt. View Orchards sell apples and pears in season.
SourcePacific Northwest menus aboard
Lindblad serves seasonal menus with ingredients sourced mainly from the Pacific Northwest, and nightly wine tastings.
SourceThe lines
Who calls at the Columbia River Gorge
From the lines’ published itineraries, October 2026.
When
Lindblad sails the Gorge in March, April, September and October; ACL sells April to November. Spring brings the strongest falls and fall the Hood River harvest. The system's lock maintenance closes it for 2 to 3 weeks in March — ask whether a March sailing is affected.
Why trust this page
The Seabound standard
Sources, read at the source
Every fare, berth and timetable here was checked on October 22, 2026, at the line, port or hotel wherever they publish it. Where they don’t, we name the source we used, or say nothing is published.
Paid placements
No line or hotel pays to appear here or to rank higher. Affiliate links are labelled, and they never decide what we recommend.
Advisors, not a booking engine
A Seabound Journeys advisor reads your brief, compares the lines for your dates and answers you personally. CLIA-affiliated, Florida Seller of Travel ST15578.
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Quick answers
The Columbia River Gorge on a river cruise: questions
Do ships stop at Hood River or The Dalles?
Lindblad's Venture page says 'The Dalles or Hood River' without saying which, and its Sea Bird page puts a winery event at the Discovery Center in The Dalles. ACL lists Hood River as a port on its Grand cruise.
Do I need a permit for Multnomah Falls?
A Forest Service timed-use permit applied in summer 2026, daily 9 am to 6 pm, and it ended for the season. The 2027 details are still to come, and neither line says whether cruise groups need one. Ask before you book.
How many locks are in the Gorge?
Two: Bonneville and The Dalles. The whole system has eight locks between Portland and Clarkston.
Is Mount St. Helens part of the cruise?
ACL lists it as an excursion on its Grand and Portland-Clarkston cruises. Lindblad doesn't name it, and neither page says where the coach starts.
How we checked this page 11 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 22, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
- Lindblad: Columbia and Snake Rivers
- Lindblad: Columbia River harvests (Venture)
- ACL: 16-day Grand release
- ACL: Highlights of the Columbia River
- ACL: Columbia & Snake Rivers Cruise
- NPS: Bonneville Lock and Dam
- ODOT: Waterfall Corridor permits
- Columbia Gorge Discovery Center: visit
- Travel Portland: farm loops (Hood River Fruit Loop)
- Viator: Columbia River Gorge tours
- PNWA: Columbia Snake River investments