Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon along the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, where the river cuts through the Cascade Range amid cliffs and waterfalls.

Columbia River Basalt Group: A vast sequence of flood-basalt lava flows erupted across the Pacific Northwest during the Miocene. These ancient lava flows built much of the rock through which the gorge was later cut.
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area: A federally designated scenic area spanning the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon and Washington. Its management balances conservation, recreation, and development across the gorge.
Chinookan peoples: Indigenous peoples whose communities historically lived along the lower Columbia River and its tributaries. Chinookan communities have longstanding cultural ties to the river and gorge.
Multnomah Falls: A 620-foot waterfall on Oregon’s Multnomah Creek, among the best-known waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. Its two-tier drop is a signature example of the gorge’s waterfall scenery.
Missoula Floods: Catastrophic Ice Age floods that repeatedly swept across the Pacific Northwest from glacial Lake Missoula. Their repeated passage reshaped the gorge near the end of the last ice age.
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act: A 1986 United States law establishing the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and its management framework. The law created the region’s distinctive system of federal and local planning.
Lewis and Clark Expedition: The 1804–1806 United States expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across western North America. The expedition traveled through the gorge on its route to the Pacific.
Beacon Rock: A prominent volcanic rock formation rising beside the Columbia River in Washington. The isolated monolith marks a distinctive landmark within the gorge.
Cascade Range: A volcanic mountain range extending from British Columbia through the Pacific Northwest to northern California. The gorge’s formation is tied to the uplift and volcanic history of this range.
Historic Columbia River Highway: A scenic highway built through the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge in the early twentieth century. Its route made gorge viewpoints and waterfalls accessible by road.

Linked from 7 pages