We were on an ACL cruise at the end of April with a stop in Hood River and we signed up for the…read morekayaking excursion. Fantastic experience! Justin was very thorough with explanations of the surrounding environs and it seemed everything around. He pointed out different wildlife in the area and our group even saw a white bunny (in the wild). We also went looking with him for morel mushrooms on land (sadly, none found). The company provides most everything you need for a comfortable kayaking experience, (outer wear, life jacket, dry bag, two types of single kayaks, or double, paddles) included (refresher) instructions for paddling, and helpful tips, assistance and corrections throughout if needed. Even though it was a bit chilly (50s) windy and slightly misting, we stayed warm enough throughout. Would recommend waterproof shoes or watershoes (bring a change of shoes and socks for afterward). Just enjoy the scenery. Such a great way to spend an afternoon! Thank you, Justin for the amazing experience and contributing to our memorable 30 year anniversary!

We had a terrific kayak tour with Hood River SUP and Kayak. Our two guides were super, very helpful…read moreand encouraging with our novice paddling skills. The scenery is spectacular and it was the perfect way to end our first visit to the Columbia River Area. We would recommend this tour company highly.

This is a little hidden gem. We love fish. This is the farm where the fish live before they are…read moretaken to Bonneville Fish Hatchery. I found it in a guidebook. We were leaving Cascade Falls and I saw a sign! There wasn't a soul here. Just a handful of these tanks with tiny fish, CoHo and Spring Chinook Salmon. It's fun to see them so tiny before you head over to Bonneville, which is a whole other review. Didn't take more than 15 minutes to see what there was to see. I'm glad we stopped.

Nice little stop on our way home in the gorge. We got to see a lot of indigenous items as well as a…read morerestored airplane and huge steam engine. It's very ADA accessible, restroom, hallways, etc. No stairs on the way in. You have a nice little gift shop if you want a memento.

The Columbia Gorge museum sits riverside of the Columbia River and through the century explores the…read moreformation and living life around it. There is much history here ranging from the American Indians, settlers, European explorers, immigrants, the lifestyle and hardships endured and more here at the museum. There are many stories you can read about and information on periods during the Gorge's history. The Skamania County historical society collect, preserve and display all sorts of tools, trinkets and more from the time period all related to the Gorge and all involved. There are many generous donors as noted on many of the displays which is cool. In the yard, there are old vehicles and construction equipment of the early days showing how supplies and timber were moved. They are worn and rusted but adds to its historical significance. The museum is about 3 floors, the 2nd floor is small, but packed with information about the nature around the gorge. There are theaters that show short features of the environment about the gorge. Depending on how deep your fascination for this goes, you could spend about 2 hours here a bit more if you read and examine all the displays. This museum is a perfect field trip for a school or parents looking to educate their youngsters about the history of the area. Even then, if you enjoy Pacific Northwest history, definitely add this to your list of museums to visit.

Thoroughly enjoyed our kayak trip out! It was our first time with the Gorge Paddling Center (via…read moreTodd!), to celebrate a birthday. It was a great experience! Our guide was fun, friendly, knowledgeable, and made the overall sunset kayak outting a memorable experience. Book it and create some awesome memories. I know I'll be back with them here over the years to come!

Had a great time taking a tandem kayak out to Wells Island and back. A nice, easy paddle-- very…read morerelaxing. We were told it was a really calm day and we were the first kayakers of the season! Todd was very friendly and helpful. He suggested that we hit the Bonneville Locks on the way back to Portland and we got to see the chinook fish ladder, which was very cool!

Keith was wonderful! He created an all day tour that fit our personal preferences. He was so…read morepatient as we reviewed our options and made changes. He was orompt. Kept us on schedule while allowing us the opportunity to take the interesting detours that he suggested. He has incredible knowledge of the area and shared it with us. All in all, a great experience..

Keith provided wonderful shuttle service for our wedding it was very smooth, everyone got there on…read moretime and everyone was able to get a ride back. We really appreciate the care and effort that went into making sure everyone was able to get a ride from the venue to our other destination. Really went above and beyond, highly recommend using this shuttle for a wedding.

Are you in the Portland area? Or somewhere in Washington and you want an adventure? If so - don't…read morebe stupid!!! Schedule a river trip and enjoy some amazing rapids and beautiful scenery as you take a wild float down the Salmon river. Our guide was Victor and he was amazing. He nailed every rapids giving us the best adrenaline seeking advenruee we wanted. Our family vacation was complete because of this trip! A few things to know: - the water is cold, but they give you a wetsuit and it helps a ton! - you will paddle! and that makes it more fun - if you want a less adventurous trip - tell the guide and they can avoid big rapids. - usually i dont encourage my son to jump off of bridges but he did and it was awesome - they have a photographer situated at different spots on the river and you can buy the pics for an extra fee. It isnt that expensive and they do a great job! - tip your guide.

Sean and Max are great and knowledgeable guides that will bring you on a very fun adventure! The…read moretrips are well planned and they are very upfront about guide tips and tricks. The rivers they raft are stunning and will leave you wanting to go again and again. Thanks Columbia River Outdoors!

There are some days that feel less like a vacation and more like you accidentally wandered into an…read moreaction movie directed by a sugar fueled mountain man, and Wet Planet in White Salmon was exactly that kind of glorious madness. Four of us rolled in on a perfect sunny day, the kind where the sky looks so blue it feels suspicious, like somebody turned the saturation too high. Right away the crew greeted us like old friends who owed them money. Everybody was laughing, cracking jokes, getting us geared up, teaching us how not to immediately perish in the river. Confidence inspiring, honestly. Then came the bus ride down to the river, packed with excitement, nervous laughter, and two groups of Boy Scouts who apparently had been training for a Broadway musical in the woods. These kids were singing songs, hyping each other up, chanting like tiny warrior poets preparing for battle. By the time we got off the bus I felt like we were either going rafting or marching into medieval combat. And then there was Marcus. Sweet merciful Neptune, this man was born for whitewater. The guy had spent seven years guiding in Colorado doing extreme rafting and had enough wild stories to fill three campfires and a History Channel special. One minute he was talking about brutal rapids, the next he was casually mentioning adventures in Japan like this was all perfectly normal human behavior. Meanwhile I'm over here trying not to lose a sandal. The river itself was absolute chaos in the best possible way. At one point we straight up rammed another boat like two pirate ships fighting over treasure. Our raft launched sideways into a wall of waves and half the crew disappeared into the water face first. I came up sputtering like an old lawn mower while everybody screamed and laughed like maniacs. Somewhere in the madness Marcus was calmly steering us through the carnage with the confidence of a man who has absolutely seen worse. Halfway through the trip we stopped near this insane waterfall pouring down dripping cliffs that looked like something out of Jurassic Park. Then the instructors started jumping off the bridge into the water because apparently these people have no fear and possibly extra bones. Naturally everybody followed because once adrenaline takes over, common sense quietly packs its bags and leaves the building. By the end of the day our entire crew was completely jazzed, soaked to the soul, exhausted, and grinning like fools. Wet Planet delivered one of the finest adventures I've had in years. Great guides, incredible scenery, nonstop laughs, and enough excitement to make you question your life insurance policy. Absolutely smashing experience. I'd recommend these guys to anybody who wants to laugh, scream, get launched into a river, and come home feeling gloriously alive.

We had such a fun experience and 10/10 would definitely recommend. I had friends visiting me in…read moreOregon so we did the full day. Some first timers for a few of them and they had a blast. This was my 2nd trip with Wet Planet on the White Salmon river and it did not disappoint! Derek was our raft guide and he was awesome. Super professional, conversational, knowledgable, funny and overall great vibe including Kirk and Denison who also kept it safe and fun! Even the photos came out great and for sure would do it again.

I did the whitewater rafting experience on a Saturday afternoon, and it was great! Very safety…read moreoriented but also very fun. Highly recommend this rafting company! Our guide Big Al/Alex was awesome. When we decided we all wanted to do the optional big waterfall, she coached us and drilled us many times so that we'd be able to raft down the waterfall as safely as possible. There was also an optional cliff jumping spot for people who wanted to get out of the raft and do that. Those of us who didn't want to do the big waterfall weren't pressured to do it & were given the option to skip it.

This is the company to go through for the best time. This was SO fun! First time rafter, and they…read moremade it so easy! All we had to do is show up. They have everything set for a great day. All the staff was friendly and helpful! Absolutely try this adventure. We did White Salmon half day. Will do again!

I've never had such an amazing Mother's Day! I ended up going on this rafting trip alone because we…read morecouldn't find a babysitter so my husband could come too, and I was honestly a little nervous at first. But from the moment I arrived, everyone made me feel so comfortable and welcome that those nerves disappeared immediately. Our guide, Peter, was absolutely amazing. He was extremely thorough with safety instructions and made sure everyone felt safe and confident throughout the trip, while still keeping everything fun and exciting. He had such a great way with people and really helped make the experience memorable. The entire staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming, and even the owner took the time to be kind and personable, which made the whole experience even better. You can tell they genuinely care about giving people a great experience. This trip made me want to come back before it was even over, and I'll definitely be returning this summer to hopefully try one of the more challenging rafting trips. Thank you all so much for giving me such a fun and unforgettable Mother's Day!

Had such a blast white water rafting with this group today! River Drifters is well prepared, and…read moretheir guides are complete experts in taking you down the river. Spencer and his fellow guides made our day so enjoyable and fun. The camaraderie they have with each other and their guests makes this adventure, nice and easy. It was my first time doing it, and even though I wasn't nervous, Spencer did an incredible job guiding us over the rapids. I will definitely do this again with them and I highly recommend!