Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area was created from riverside land that is part of Mt. Hood and Gifford Pinchot National Forests. This river corridor was traditionally used by the Chinook, Warm Springs, and Yakama peoples that were drawn to the annual salmon runs. The gorge stretches 80 miles to the Deschutes River, lined by steep basalt cliffs and many State Parks. The Oregon side is famous for its waterfalls fed by snowy Mt. Hood, the 11,249-foot-tall stratovolcano that rises to the south. The town of Hood River is considered the “Windsurfing Capital of the World” with many options for gear rentals and lessons.
Highlights
Historic Columbia River Highway, Multnomah Falls, Vista House, Dog Mountain, Bonneville Fish Hatchery, Horsetail Falls, Wahclella Falls Trail, Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail
Must-Do Activity
Two-tiered Multnomah Falls drops 620 feet and is the most famous waterfall on the Historic Columbia River Highway, enough so that a timed permit is now required to park May through early September. As of 2025, a parking permit is also required at Vista House, built in 1918 on a rocky point 693 feet above the Columbia River (see Fees below). To get a break from the traffic, consider parking and hiking. Wahclella Falls Trail is 2.4 miles out-and-back through a slot canyon to a 350-foot-tall two-tiered plunge (which hopefully reopens soon after it suffered extensive damages during December 2025 storms). Eagle Creek Trail goes 1.9 miles one-way to Punch Bowl Falls (honestly, there are so many good hiking options to choose from, so check out this website: https://gorgefriends.org/find-a-hike). Bonneville Fish Hatchery is free and home to Herman the Sturgeon who is 10 feet long, 500 pounds, and more than 80 years old.
Best Trail
Oneonta Trail is 3.2 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of 425 feet to Ponytail Falls that you can walk behind. An additional 1.8 miles and 300 feet of climbing will take hikers to Triple Falls. At the same trailhead located near Horsetail Falls, the once popular route through Oneonta Gorge slot canyon has been closed due to a dangerous logjam following the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Dog Mountain is famous for its spring wildflower bloom, so a $2 parking reservation (or a free shuttle) is required on weekends from April through early June.
Photographic Opportunity
Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint (or Chanticleer Point) is still free, which provides a photographic point looking east that includes Vista House.
Peak Season
Spring
Fees
$5 Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful pass) required at many U.S. Forest Service trailheads. Crown Point State Scenic Corridor at Vista House requires an annual state park pass or a parking fee of $10 per vehicle for Oregon residents and $12 for non-residents.
Road Conditions
Interstate 84 runs along the Oregon side of the gorge with limited exits and State Route 14 follows the river on the Washington side. Before departing, check for road closures on the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Camping
Wyeth Campground is the only one directly within the National Scenic Area, but there are several campgrounds north and south of the Columbia River in Gifford Pinchot and Mt. Hood National Forests.
Multnomah FallsVista House at Crown Point State Scenic CorridorBonneville Lock and Dam LampreysBonneville Fish HatcheryHerman the sturgeonSacagawea sculpture
Explore More – When did the Chanticleer Inn burn down, opening Chanticleer Point to be purchased by the Portland Women’s Forum and donated to the state of Oregon in 1962?
Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.
In December 1808, Thomas and Nancy Lincoln moved with their infant daughter to a 300-acre farm near Sinking Spring, where soon their son Abraham would be born on February 12. Two years later they moved to a more fertile farm ten miles northeast on Knob Creek. The family left for Indiana five years after that, where today you can find Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. The original birthplace cabin was dismantled before 1865, but a cabin built nearby using some of the Lincoln logs was purchased three decades later for the purpose of exhibiting a traveling replica. When that replica cabin was placed inside the Memorial Building in 1911, it was too large for tourists to walk around it, so it was decreased in scale from 16-by-18 feet to 12-by-17 feet. In 2001, the National Park Service acquired the privately-owned boyhood home reconstruction at Knob Creek Farm, leading to the redesignation back to a National Historical Park.
Highlights
Memorial Building, film, Knob Creek Farm, Overlook Trail
Must-Do Activity
The future U.S. President came from humble beginnings, and here in Kentucky is where his education began. Even if you are familiar with his life story, it is a good idea to watch the film at the visitor center before climbing the stairs to the scale model of the birth cabin inside the Memorial Building. A ten-mile drive takes you to the reconstructed Lincoln house at Knob Creek Farm, where you can hike the Overlook Trail if you have time.
Best Trail
Boundary Oak Trail is 0.3 miles and starts near the Memorial Building, while 0.7-mile Big Sink Trail starts from the picnic area on the other side of Highway 31E. At Knob Creek Farm, Overlook Trail is 3.1 miles out-and-back with 348 feet of cumulative elevation gain.
Photographic Opportunity
Exactly a century after Abraham’s birthday, President Theodore Roosevelt was on hand for the laying of the cornerstone for a Memorial Building where the Lincoln family cabin once stood.
Outside Hodgenville, all roads are paved to the Birthplace Unit of the park and the Boyhood Home Unit at Knob Creek, which is ten miles northeast on U.S. Highway 31E.
Camping
Located 25 miles northeast on Highway 31E, My Old Kentucky Home State Park has a 39-site campground with RV hookups, plus an 18-hole golf course.
Mt. Baker National Forest’s namesake is the 10,781-foot glacier-covered stratovolcano that dominates the skyline of northwest Washington. It is surrounded by the 119,989-acre Mt. Baker Wilderness and the specially designated 8,473-acre Mt. Baker National Recreation Area that allows snowmobiling on the southern slope. About half of this National Forest is designated Wilderness, which also encompasses another active volcano within 566,057-acre Glacier Peak Wilderness. In 1968, part of Mt. Baker National Forest turned into North Cascades National Park and five years later its remaining acres were administratively merged with Snoqualmie National Forest.
Know someone who loves the National Forests? Gift them our travel guidebook Out in the Woods so they can learn more about all 155 National Forests.
Highlights
Mt. Baker National Recreation Area, Heather Meadows, Glacier Public Service Center, Nooksack Falls, Mountain Loop Scenic Byway, Baker Hot Springs, Boulder River Trail, Bagley Lakes Trails, Fire and Ice Trail, Baker Lake Trail, Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, Shadow of the Sentinels National Recreation Trail
Must-Do Activity
Mt. Baker Scenic Byway (Highway 542) passes Nooksack Falls as it heads east to Artist Point (open after snow melts). Be sure to stop at photogenic Picture Lake and the Heather Meadows Visitor Center, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). A recreation pass is at most trailheads around nine-mile-long Baker Lake, a reservoir popular with campers and fishermen. On the lake’s east side, boat-in or hike-in Maple Grove Campground provides amazing views of Mt. Baker on a clear day.
Best Trail
Mt. Baker Scenic Byway accesses several trailheads before dead ending in a huge parking lot at Artist Point, surrounded by snowy mountains. Snow often covers the 4.2-mile one-way trail to Lake Ann well into July. The first two miles share a path with the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, dropping 800 feet to a junction with Swift Creek Trail. From there, a 700-foot climb begins to Lake Ann, a popular destination for backpackers within Mt. Baker Wilderness, which in addition to the normal restrictions prohibits campfires and requires all human waste to be packed out. On clear days, the payoff is unsurpassed views of Mt. Baker and Mt. Shuksan, a 9,131-foot peak in North Cascades National Park reached by continuing up the trail.
Watchable Wildlife
Mountain goats can be seen at high elevations, alongside marmot, pika, and snowshoe hare. Other large mammals include black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, Columbian black-tailed deer, and elk. In 1978, the Skagit Wild and Scenic River System was established along 125 miles of rivers, providing habitat for one of the nation’s largest winter populations of bald eagles. Two types of sea-run trout and five species of salmon are anadromous fish found in the lakes and streams.
Photographic Opportunity
Picture Lake near the Heather Meadows Visitor Center creates wonderful reflections of the surrounding snowy mountains. Plus, it is a good spot for huckleberries in September.
Peak Season
Summer
Fees
$5 Northwest Forest Pass (or America the Beautiful pass) required at the end of Mt. Baker Highway and at trailheads around Baker Lake; Washington State Sno-Park permit is required November 1 through April 30 at some sites
Road Conditions
Mt. Baker Highway (542) received the National Forest Scenic Byway designation in 1988. The 57-mile-long paved route from Interstate 5 is open most of the year between Bellingham and Mt. Baker Ski Area, but it is usually closed beyond that from October well into July because of heavy snowfall.
Camping
There are several campgrounds around Baker Lake, including the boat-in or hike-in Maple Grove Campground. Marble Creek and Mineral Park are two free campgrounds on the Cascade River Road. There are no campgrounds in the Heather Meadows area, but at lower elevations on the Mt. Baker Scenic Byway are Douglas-Fir and Silver Fir Campgrounds.
Wilderness Areas
Alpine Lakes Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)
Boulder River Wilderness
Clearwater Wilderness
Glacier Peak Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)
Henry M. Jackson Wilderness (also in Wenatchee National Forest)
Mt. Baker Wilderness
Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness
Norse Peak Wilderness
Pasayten Wilderness (also in Okanogan National Forest)
Baker LakeHeather Meadows Visitor CenterMountain goatsPicture LakeBanana slugBaker Lake at Maple Grove CampgroundBaker Hot SpringsNooksack FallsRavens about the forest
Held the last full week of July, Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo is considered “The Daddy of ’em All” and has been held annually since 1897 in the state’s capital city. It is easy to spend several days exploring local museums and attending the free air show put on by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, four Western Heritage Parades, performances at Indian Village, and three free pancake breakfasts. Daily gunfights are put on throughout the summer by the Cheyenne Gunslingers near the Railroad Depot Museum.
If you need a break from the rodeo and concert crowds, head 40 minutes west on Interstate 80 to hike at rocky Vedauwoo Recreation Area. The National Forest also contains its namesake 12,013-foot mountain on the Colorado border. The Snowy Range Scenic Byway cuts across this rugged landscape and is a great place for outdoor recreation. If you pass through Saratoga on the west side of the peaks, soak at the free Hobo Pool, the town’s developed hot springs (with indoor showers).
Originally founded in 1834 for its strategic location at the confluence of two rivers, the fort was purchased by the U.S. military in 1849. In the summer, stop into the bar for a cold sarsaparilla or attend July 4th festivities. West of the fort, at Register Cliff and Oregon Trail Ruts State Historic Site pioneers left their marks along the North Platte River.
The newest State Park in Wyoming preserves a nuclear missile command center manned nonstop for decades by the U.S. Air Force. Underground tours are offered for a small fee.
Day 2
National Trails Interpretive Center
In Casper, this free museum is run by the Bureau of Land Management on a hill above where the Pony Express, Mormon Pioneer, Oregon, and California National Historic Trails all ran along the North Platte River in the 1800s. Fort Caspar Museum also celebrates its trail town history.
Mostly undeveloped for tourists, Weston Recreation Area is located 30 miles north of Gillette off Highway 59 with at least 15 miles of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trails. Fishing for warm water species like smallmouth bass and bluegill is possible at several reservoirs. On moonless nights, the stars in this part of the state are epic.
Devils Tower was named the nation’s first National Monument by President Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. If you look closely, the vertical columns of the 867-foot-tall volcanic formation may hold a few rock climbers dwarfed by the scale. It is often easier to reach this northeast corner of Wyoming while visiting the Black Hills of South Dakota.
The Bighorn Mountains are crossed by three scenic byways: Cloud Peak Skyway, Bighorn Scenic Byway, and Medicine Wheel Passage. Located right off Bighorn Scenic Byway (Highway 14) is 120-foot-tall Shell Falls, while accessing the short trail to 600-foot Bucking Mule Falls involves driving about ten miles of dirt roads.
Devil Canyon Overlook and most of the 27 miles of hiking trails are in the Wyoming section of the park along with Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range, Hillsboro Dude Ranch, and several tipi rings found along Bad Pass Trail, a route which has seen over 10,000 years of human use.
Day 4
Shoshone National Forest
Considered the first protected forest in American history dating to 1891, this National Forest encompasses incredible scenery, more than 1,300 miles of hiking trails, and tallest mountain in Wyoming.
Cody
Cody is the gateway to Yellowstone National Park’s eastern entrance and holds a nightly rodeo during the summer. It is also home to an excellent and eclectic museum called the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
Optional route on Beartooth Highway
U.S. Route 212 is an All-American Road that crosses a high-elevation plateau on the Montana border before entering the northeast corner of Yellowstone National Park. Chief Joseph Scenic Byway (Highway 296) connects Cody with the Beartooth Highway.
The world’s first National Park was created in 1872 and surrounds the giant 45-mile-wide caldera of a supervolcano. This geologic wonderland contains more than 50% of the world’s geysers and is a haven for wildlife that is best seen in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys. The park has countless waterfalls, including the 308-foot-tall Lower Falls that can be viewed from famous overlooks like Artist Point and Inspiration Point, or you can hike the steep, paved trail 600 feet down to the Brink of Lower Falls for unforgettable views of the canyon, especially on sunny days when a rainbow appears in its spray.
It can be hard to get a reservation to stay inside the park overnight, so many visitors cross the border into Montana to the towns of Gardiner or West Yellowstone. Campgrounds, dispersed camping, and backpacking are also options in Montana’s Gallatin National Forest.
Wherever you spend the night, make sure to visit Lower Geyser Basin the next day. This is where Old Faithful can shoot water up to 185 feet in the air. Since the occurrence of several earthquakes, it is no longer as consistent as its name suggests, but its eruptions can be accurately predicted every 60 to 110 minutes throughout the day. Nearby, Grand Prismatic Spring in Midway Geyser Basin is definitely worth a stop, especially from an overlook along Fairy Falls Trail.
Jenny Lake sparkles below 12,325-foot Teewinot Peak and is the trailhead for popular Cascade Canyon Trail (you can take the shortcut aboard a shuttle boat for a fee). There are plenty of activities other than hiking, which include wildlife watching, boating, horseback riding, mountain climbing, whitewater rafting, or cross-country skiing in the winter.
Jackson
Crowded in the summer, Jackson is famous for its four arches in its town square that are built from shed elk antlers found in the National Elk Refuge. Horse drawn carriage rides into the middle of the wintering elk herds are a popular winter attraction in the refuge. Right in town in the summer, Bar T 5 offers wagon rides and chuckwagon dinners with live entertainment.
This is the road connecting Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, so visiting here is not really optional, but stopping to hike to Polecat Hot Springs for a soak is worth the time.
Day 7
Teton National Forest
South of Jackson, you can drive to pretty Granite Falls, a 50-foot-tall and 100-foot-wide cascade that was featured in the film A River Runs Through It (plus the falls has a hot springs across the river at its base). There are many hiking and camping options available throughout Teton National Forest.
The visitor center displays fossil fish, turtles, and other species, and on the deck outside there is an awesome timeline that traces CO2 levels and life on Earth throughout geologic time. Take the steep steps up the Historic Quarry Trail to find fish fossils still in the rocks. Several companies on private property in the area allow visitors to pay to quarry their own fish fossils to keep.
From Pinedale, a 50-mile (partially paved) drive leads to the campground at Green River Lakes, which opens up into a beautiful valley that frames photogenic Squaretop Mountain. Starting from the lakeside campground, the Highline Trail is a 72-mile trek that traverses the Wind River Range, my favorite mountain range in the world.
South Pass City
South Pass City State Historic Site is a well-preserved ghost town with 30 structures where kids will appreciate the irony that the Sweetwater County Jail later served as a classroom. The Continental Divide National Scenic Trail passes through the middle of the ghost town. Lantern-guided tours inside the nearby Carissa Gold Mine and Mill are available by reservation.
Some of the best dinosaur fossils in the world were found in Wyoming, and the little town of Thermopolis (home to the world’s largest mineral hot springs) has an excellent museum, plus visitors can schedule a trip to work alongside paleontologists at an active dig site in the summer.
Along 36 miles of the Green River (Seedskadee means “river of the prairie hen”), 220 types of birds have been identified, and other species seen include pronghorn, mule deer, and moose.
Flaming Gorge Reservoir on the Green River straddles the Wyoming-Utah border in the northern portion of Ashley National Forest offering 360 miles of shoreline, five full-service marinas, whitewater rafting, and numerous boat launches and campgrounds.
Killpecker Dunes
North of Rock Springs is North America’s largest active dune field in a remote area called the Red Desert, home to the nation’s only herd of desert-dwelling elk. The Bureau of Land Management allows dispersed camping throughout the region, including near the dramatic Boars Tusk rock formation and further south around the badlands of Adobe Town.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway shares 82 miles of two-lane road that is U.S. Routes 89, 191, and 287 from Grand Teton National Park National Park north to West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. Its name honors the conservationist and philanthropist who contributed to the creation of Acadia, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, and Virgin Islands National Parks. Originally part of Teton National Forest, this land includes the Flagg Ranch concession, which had its lodge, restaurant, gas station, and campground moved from along the Snake River to a point less visible from the road in 2002.
Highlights
Flagg Ranch, Huckleberry Hot Springs, Polecat Hot Springs
Must-Do Activity
Huckleberry and Polecat Hot Springs are easily accessed by walking less than a mile down a closed dirt road not far from historic Flagg Ranch. Polecat Creek Loop Trail can be completed as a 2.5-mile loop that is narrow and overgrown by vegetation in places. Be on the lookout for grizzly bears, black bears, elk, and moose. Trout fishing in the Snake River is also a popular activity in John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The parkway is plowed to Flagg Ranch in the winter, making it a shared trailhead for snowmobilers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers.
Best Trail
Flagg Canyon Trail is a five-mile out-and-back hike along the Snake River with 340 feet of cumulative elevation gain after it crosses the busy parkway east of Flagg Ranch.
Photographic Opportunity
Driving unpaved and potholed Grassy Lake Road provides views to the south of the Teton Range.
The parkway is paved and closes for the winter at Flagg Ranch when the south entrance to Yellowstone National Park shuts down. Closed annually for grizzly bear migration until June 1, Grassy Lake Road heads 49 miles west to Ashton, Idaho (the easternmost 36 miles are a potholed dirt track for high-clearance vehicles that enters Targhee National Forest, which is popular for dispersed camping).
Camping
There is a lodge at Flagg Ranch, plus Headwaters Campground takes reservations and offers 34 tent sites, 97 full-hookup RV sites, and 40 Camper Cabins (open June 7 to October 4, 2026). Along rough Grassy Lake Road there are eight free camp areas with 14 first-come, first-served campsites equipped with vault toilets and bear boxes. There are also campgrounds in Teton National Forest and primitive dispersed campsites near Grassy Lake once the road enters Targhee National Forest.
Raven About The Parks 