Wildflower Viewing Areas in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Wildflowers of Gordon Ridge Road

Mouth of the Deschutes viewed north towards the Columbia River with the Columbia Hills on the far side of the river...........October 1997.

The lower Deschutes viewed south (upriver) from Gordon Ridge. Some of these slopes are public lands and one can hike for miles, although the steepness of the slopes can get tiring very quickly. To hike here, you probably want to have the BLM public access map for the Deschutes River and be well versed in navigating with a map, and be able to avoid private lands. Locals have posted some of the public lands "No Trespassing", so enter at your own risk!.

Directions:

Eastbound: Take Interstate 84 east of The Dalles and take the Celilo Exit (Exit #97). Turn right and immediately left onto Highway 206. There are several places along this stretch of highway to view wildflowers. Have a passenger watch the slopes to the south of the roadway for bloom, stopping safely as needed. Do not cross fencelines unless you definitely know they are in public ownership!

Examples of wildflowers to see along this stretch include white sand-verbena (Abronia mellifera), veiny dock (Rumex venosus), hoary aster (Machaeranthera canescens), and rigid sagebrush (Artemisia rigida). Continue along Highway 206 until reaching the mouth of the

Westbound: Drive west on I-84 from Arlington, OR and points east, exiting at Biggs Junction (Exit 104). US Highway 97 crosses the Columbia River at this point, so those coming from the north or south may approach Biggs Junction via those highways. Turn west onto the old highway and proceed west, to the junction of Highway 206

Plant Lists:

April 23, 2000 Higher elevation slopes (east bank) above the Deschutes River accessed via the Gordon Ridge Road.

April 2, 2000 Radio Tower at Crest of Gordon Ridge Road

Paul Slichter