Columbia Gorge Cruises

Columbia Gorge Cruises This page is dedicated to showcasing past and present Columbia Gorge cruises operated by the Portland Spirit.
(1050)

The Columbia Gorge Sternwheeler is no longer operated by the Portland Spirit.

Only 5 chances left to experience the 7 Wonders of the Gorge this season! Excursions run now through Monday, Sept. 29th....
09/22/2025

Only 5 chances left to experience the 7 Wonders of the Gorge this season! Excursions run now through Monday, Sept. 29th. Don’t miss the views that are nothing short of wonder-ful. See the Gorge in all its fall glory. 🍂

Photo by Cole Chase Photography.

Then & Now: Cape HornThen (1867): Renowned photographer Carleton E. Watkins captured this striking view of Cape Horn dur...
09/19/2025

Then & Now: Cape Horn

Then (1867): Renowned photographer Carleton E. Watkins captured this striking view of Cape Horn during his travels documenting the American West. His image preserved the sheer cliffs and wild beauty of the Columbia River Gorge as they appeared more than 150 years ago. (OHS Library Photo Credit)

Now: Today, guests aboard the Explorer Jetboat get an up-close view of the very same landmark, approaching by water just as river travelers once did in the 19th century. While much has changed around the Gorge, Cape Horn’s dramatic cliffs remain a timeless icon of the Pacific Northwest.

Day 7 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge: Crown Point & Vista House 🌄Rising 733 feet above the Columbia River, Crown Point is...
09/14/2025

Day 7 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge: Crown Point & Vista House 🌄

Rising 733 feet above the Columbia River, Crown Point is a basalt promontory shaped by ancient lava flows and later scoured by the great Missoula Floods at the end of the last Ice Age. Standing here, it’s easy to imagine 600 cubic miles of water thundering down the Gorge, carving the dramatic landscape we see today. Designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971, Crown Point offers one of the most breathtaking views in Oregon.

Perched at the top is the elegant Vista House, opened in 1918 as both a memorial to Oregon Trail pioneers and a glamorous rest stop for travelers on the Historic Columbia River Highway. With its marble floors, stained-glass windows, and octagonal Art Nouveau design, it was described at the time as “the finishing achievement for the greatest highway in America.” Today, it houses a museum, gift shop and interpretive displays on the Gorge’s natural and human history. It earned its place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Crown Point also marks the gateway to the world famous Waterfall Corridor, home to eight stunning waterfalls including Multnomah Falls. 🌟

Day 6 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Rooster Rock 🐓This 120-foot basalt monolith rises from the Columbia River Go...
09/13/2025

Day 6 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Rooster Rock 🐓

This 120-foot basalt monolith rises from the Columbia River Gorge just below Crown Point. Formed by landslides and shaped by Ice Age floods, Rooster Rock is one of the few rocky remnants left standing. The Chinook people named it "iwash" based on its ph***ic shape. Early settlers adopted the name “Cock Rock,” until mapmakers changed it to the tamer “Rooster Rock.” Lewis & Clark even camped here on November 2, 1805, noting it in their journals

The site has seen many lives — a small cannery once operated in its cove, and today it’s home to both a popular state park and a clothing-optional beach. Rooster Rock is also beloved by stargazers, with Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) often hosting public “star parties” here for dazzling views of planets, galaxies and the night sky. ✨

Day 5 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: The Columbia River 🌊The Columbia River has been shaping its landscapes, cult...
09/12/2025

Day 5 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: The Columbia River 🌊

The Columbia River has been shaping its landscapes, cultures and communities for millennia. Stretching 1,243 miles from its source in British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, the Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest and the biggest North American river to flow into the Pacific. Its drainage basin spans an area the size of France, collecting water from seven U.S. states and one Canadian province.

For thousands of years, the Columbia has been a lifeline to indigenous people and its waters connected communities for trade and travel. Today, it remains vital as one of the world’s greatest sources of hydroelectric power, generating about a third of America’s potential hydropower, while also serving as a deepwater harbor and shipping route.✨

Day 4 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Mt. Hood 🏔️Rising 11,239 feet above sea level, Mt. Hood is Oregon’s tallest ...
09/11/2025

Day 4 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Mt. Hood 🏔️

Rising 11,239 feet above sea level, Mt. Hood is Oregon’s tallest peak and one of the most iconic mountains in the Cascade Range. Known to Indigenous people as Wy’East, this dormant volcano is crowned with 11 glaciers and continues to release steam from its fumaroles.

First sighted by Lt. William Broughton of the British Navy in 1792 and later documented by Lewis & Clark in 1805, Mt. Hood has long inspired explorers, pioneers and adventurers. In 1845, Samuel Barlow and Joel Palmer opened the first wagon route over the Cascades here, forever changing the Oregon Trail journey.

Today, Mt. Hood is one of the top three climbed mountains in the world (Mt. Fuji is number one), home to five ski areas — including Timberline Lodge, which hosts North America’s only year-round ski season — and over 1,200 miles of hiking trails in the surrounding national forest. 🌲✨

Day 3 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Beacon Rock ⛰️Standing 848 feet tall, Beacon Rock is the basalt core of an a...
09/11/2025

Day 3 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Beacon Rock ⛰️

Standing 848 feet tall, Beacon Rock is the basalt core of an ancient volcano, its sides stripped away by Ice Age floods to reveal the dramatic monolith we see today. On October 31, 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition named it “Beaten Rock,” later “Beacon Rock,” after noting that it marked the eastern reach of tidal influence in the Columbia River.

But this landmark almost didn’t survive — plans by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Northern Pacific Railroad once targeted it for demolition. In 1915, Portland businessman Henry J. Biddle purchased the rock for $1 to save it, building a trail of 51 switchbacks to the summit. His family later donated it to Washington State, and by 1935 it became Beacon Rock State Park.
🌊✨

Day 2 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Cape Horn 🌲⛰️One of the Gorge’s most dramatic landmarks, Cape Horn’s cliffs ...
09/09/2025

Day 2 of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge series: Cape Horn 🌲⛰️

One of the Gorge’s most dramatic landmarks, Cape Horn’s cliffs rise from layers of ancient basalt formed by volcanic flows millions of years ago and carved by the Columbia River.

The Cape Horn Tunnel was completed in 1907 for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway (SP&S), marking the shift from steamboats to trains along the Columbia.

Thanks to conservation efforts led by Nancy Russell, Columbia Land Trust and Friends of the Columbia Gorge in the 1980s, Cape Horn was preserved from further development. Today, the 64-acre preserve includes the Cape Horn Loop Trail and Nancy Russell Overlook (filming location for the movie "Twilight"). ✨

The grand finale of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge excursion is Multnomah Falls — Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet and...
09/08/2025

The grand finale of our 7 Wonders of the Gorge excursion is Multnomah Falls — Oregon’s tallest waterfall at 620 feet and the most visited natural attraction in the Pacific Northwest.

Fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain, this two-tiered waterfall flows year-round and reveals 400,000 years of geological history in its basalt cliffs. Multnomah Falls has inspired visitors from the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 to the 2.5 million people who still journey here each year. 🌊✨

Follow along over the next 7 days; we’ll be sharing fascinating facts about each of the 7 Wonders of the Columbia River Gorge!

Views that never get old! 🌞
08/17/2025

Views that never get old! 🌞

06/19/2025

The wait is finally over! 7 Wonders of the Gorge cruises begin on Saturday and run nine times a week through September. 😎

Great news! 🚤 Our 7 Wonders of the Gorge cruise season is expanding! ☀️ Starting June 21st (earlier than ever), you’ll h...
03/24/2025

Great news! 🚤 Our 7 Wonders of the Gorge cruise season is expanding! ☀️ Starting June 21st (earlier than ever), you’ll have 9 departures a week to choose from, with both morning and afternoon options. Don’t miss this breathtaking adventure through the Columbia River Gorge!

Address

110 SE Caruthers Street
Portland, OR
97214

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Columbia Gorge Cruises posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Columbia Gorge Cruises:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category