Biking the Riverfront Trail in The Dalles, Oregon

Looking for more places to bike along the Columbia River?
Check out my reviews on biking the Historic Columbia River Highway from Hood River to Mosier and from Wyeth to Viento!

CURRENT INFO

Information about The Dalles Riverfront Trail is available on the Northern Wasco County Parks & Recreation website and the TrailLink website. If you have a TrailLink membership, you can view an online trail map. The Oregon Hikers website also has great info about the trail.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Free parking is available at the Columbia Gorge Discover Center & Museum and Klindt’s Cove. There are numerous other places to park near the trail throughout its length.
• Restrooms are available at the museum (for guests) and at Klindt’s Cove. You can also find restrooms at a few of the parks south of Klindt’s Cove, and at The Dalles Dam.
• Fill up your water bottles at the Columbia River Gorge Discovery Center before heading out.
• The Dalles Riverfront Trail isn’t limited to bikes — hikers (and dogs on leash) are also welcome!
• Whatever mode of travel you choose, take note that the Riverfront Trail is very exposed. On sunny days (which are most days in The Dalles), bring sunscreen, shade hats (or helmets with visors), sunglasses, and plenty of water. Summer temperatures can be scorching! Unlike the windy Columbia River Gorge to the west, it’s usually calm in The Dalles.
• Always follow Leave No Trace principles.

HIGHLIGHTS

The Dalles Riverfront Trail shows a side of the Columbia River that’s dramatically different from the waterfall-laced forests of the western Gorge. Here, the muted browns and greens of the high desert contrast with the intense blue of the sky and river. It’s an urban trail, so expect a mix of scenic riverside vistas and industrial complexes. Small parks en route are a great place to pause and relax. Tying a trail ride together with a visit to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum makes for a fabulous day in The Dalles.

THE KIDS’ TAKE

The Dalles Riverfront Trail is a great place for a family bike ride, but be mindful of the weather on this exposed path. Most of the time, sunscreen, sunglasses, shade hats, and plenty of water and snacks are a must! My kids were feeling tired the day we rode the trail, but fortunately, there are many good stopping points along the way. It was also easy for my husband and I to bike back to the Discovery Center on our own, then drive the car to Klindt’s Cove to meet the rest of the group. This gave nine-year-old J and his grandpa a welcome break while they waited at the park, making everyone happy.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

The big sight to see here is the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum at the northwest end of the Riverfront Trail. We visited the Discovery Center first, but you can do it in either order. Fort Dalles Museum is also well worth a visit, and yes, it’s possible to do all three activities in one day. We did! We also enjoyed lunch from The Riv Cafe, which serves amazing fried chicken sandwiches.

Looking for a hike? The Rowena Plateau (aka Rowena Crest) is just a 15-minute drive from the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. A little further along, the Mosier Plateau is another great option. Both the Rowena and Mosier Plateaus showcase incredible Columbia River views, and put on a fabulous wildflower display in early spring.

The Columbia River Gorge is home to a number of great biking trails. Check out the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail for incredible views along distinctly different stretches of the Gorge. We especially loved the Hood River to Mosier segment of the trail. The Wyeth to Viento section is also lovely, and provides the opportunity to visit several waterfalls.

After wrapping up our visit to the wonderful Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum, it was time for something a little different, something to get us moving. How convenient that The Dalles Riverfront Trail starts right here from the Discovery Center parking lot! After making sure our water bottles were full and no one else needed to use the restroom, we headed down the trail.

As a matter of fact, The Dalles Riverfront Trail does indeed head downhill before flattening out. The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center is located on a bluff above the river, and the path down to the riverbank is winding and even a tiny bit steep at times. This is still a gentle trail by most standards, but bear in mind that if you bike down, you will probably also have to bike back up. If you prefer to avoid any hills, there are other places further south to park and enjoy an easy, flat entry onto the trail.

We navigated the curves and were soon gliding along a beautiful tree-lined stretch of the trail. It wasn’t long before we were once again out in the open, riding under cloud-free blue skies. Before us, the Columbia River spread out, lazily soaking in the sun. It’s a startling contrast with the western side of the Gorge, where the wind often whips the the water into frothy whitecaps.

Natural beauty isn’t the only thing you’ll find along the Riverfront Trail, however. Power lines and industrial complexes also populate the northern reaches of The Dalles. We passed by the enormous Google campus, which houses a massive data center. It’s not the sort of thing I seek out on a bike ride, but it was nonetheless interesting.

Past Google, my attention turned again toward the Columbia River. The smooth, glassy water reflected the brilliance of the sky, while cinnamon-brown hills sloped along the horizon. As someone who lives among the deep greens of Western Washington, it’s always fascinating to observe the beauty of the high desert of the Pacific Northwest.

It was around this time that my oldest son, J, and my father-in-law, Rick, began to tire. While The Dalles Riverfront trail isn’t a strenuous ride, we had been going strong all week during our stay in Hood River, and it was time for a break. Michael and I discussed our options. We were eager to go further, but it was clear that the rest of our party wasn’t. Finally, we made a plan. Everyone would bike as far as Klindt’s Cove, as we were already most of the way there, then Michael and I would bike back to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. From there, we could easily drive to Klindt’s Cove to pick up J and Rick.

The plan was enough to get J back on his bike, ready to pedal the rest of the way to Klindt’s Cove. Michael took some extra time to bike a little further along the trail before turning back. T, who had it easy riding the trail-a-bike behind Michael (no pedaling required!), decided to stick with his parents as we rode back to the Discovery Center.

The ride back was great. I enjoyed the warm April weather — not too hot, and certainly not too cold, but just right. A few wildflowers were blooming, the grass was green, and baby leaves were beginning to sprout from their buds. We quickly reached the Discovery Center parking lot, packed up the bikes, and were on our way to Klindt’s Cove.

Rick and J were in good spirits, too, and soon we were all in the car again, driving west toward Hood River. A beautiful bike ride followed by a beautiful drive — it was just another gorgeous day on the Columbia River.