If you're looking for a stunning springtime wildflower display near Portland, look no further than the Eastern Columbia River Gorge. From late April through mid May, the Columbia River Gorge's rolling hills erupt with an awe-inspiring bloom of Balsamroot, Lupine, and many other beautiful flowers.

The best wildflower hikes are found east of Cascade Locks, within a 1 to 2 hour drive from Portland, Oregon. Read my favorite hikes below to begin planning your trip to this natural springtime wonder of Oregon and Washington!

The Tom McCall Point hike is a great short hike to view wildflowers located 20 minutes past the town of Hood River in Oregon. The hike climbs steeply to McCall point, passing through a mixture of oak savannah and colorful wildflower fields.

If you want to extend your hike, consider adding on a 3-mile loop through Tom McCall Preserve. The preserve trail is right across the road from the McCall Point trail - you'll find more wildflowers and views of the Columbia River's impressive basalt cliffs on this loop.

Be aware that Rowena Crest and Tom McCall Point are popular areas, especially on springtime weekends. Plan accordingly and arrive early to find a parking spot: getting to the trailhead before 9AM is ideal.

The location of the Tom McCaall Point trailhead is shown below.

Coyote Wall is a popular loop hike for viewing spring wildflowers that's 1 hour 45 minute from Portland by car. This is a fun hike even when its not wildflower season, but during spring it becomes absolutely astounding. On clear, sunny days, you'll get a spectacular view of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood.

The Coyote Wall loop starts out on a closed road before climbing through a rocky trail section with small waterfalls known as the Labyrinth. After hiking through the Labyrinth, the trail traverses back through flower-filled meadows on its return to the trailhead.

The latter section of the loop near Coyote Wall (an impressive cliff by the trailhead) is where you'll see the most wildflowers. If you've timed your trip just right, the grassy slopes will be carpeted with colorful flowers of many varieties.

I've linked the trailhead and parking below. Plan to arrive early on weekends, when cars overflow onto the highway by late morning.

This is my favorite wildflower hike in the Columbia River Gorge, due to the abundance of its springtime bloom. Located at the beautiful Columbia Hills State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia, the Dalles Mountain Ranch Loop is nonstop Balsamroot and Lupine flowers the entire hike.

Begin your hike at the Crawford Oaks trailhead, or the Dalles Mountain Ranch trailhead. I prefer starting at the Crawford Oaks trailhead, and then hiking clockwise. However, there's no wrong way to hike this trail.


The Dalles Mountain Ranch is a historic ranch at the high point of the trail. The ranch is well preserved, with most of its buildings still intact. At the Ranch, search along the barbed wire fence line to find a rusted out car surrounded by blooming flowers.


I consider this trail a must-do during wildflower season, and we try to complete it every year when we're in the area. Most years, peak bloom occurs within the first week of May. This window may change slightly depending on the weather - for example, colder years are likely to have later blooms than warmer years.



Remember to bring a Washington Discover Pass for parking at the Crawford Oaks trailhead, which I've linked below. Alternatively, you can park at the Dalles Mountain Ranchto start the loop from an alternate location.

Dog Mountain

An extremely popular 6.8 mile loop, Dog Mountain is well-known for its spring flower display. A day use permit from Recreation.gov is required to hike weekends and holidays from April 29th through June 19th.

The Dog Mountain Trailhead is just off Highway 14 on the Washington side of the Columbia, a 1 hour drive from Portland. Dog Mountain is the steepest hike on this list, gaining over 2,700 feet for its duration.

Lyle Cherry Orchard

A 5 mile out-and-back, be wary of thick poison oak on this hike. However, if you can navigate around the poison oak, you'll be rewarded with a gorgeous flower display at the top. Lyle Cherry Orchard is less popular than the other hikes on this list, so you may find less people here on busy days.

The Trailhead is just east of the town of Lyle, on a small pull-off of Washington Highway 14.

Poison Oak

OK, this isn't a hike... but you should definitely watch out for poison oak, which grows plentifully in the Columbia River Gorge. It's especially prevalent on the Tom McCall Point and Lyle Cherry Orchard hikes. Knowing how to identify this plant can save you from an itchy allergic reaction.

Poison oak grows as a creeper, vine, or shrub with oily looking leaves that grow in threes. Contact with any part of the plant may cause an itchy rash (about 85% of people are allergic). If you think you've come into contact with poison oak, thoroughly wash the affected area with soap and water as soon as possible to mitigate an allergic reaction.

With that said, pick a trail, plan your trip, and hunt down the Columbia River Gorge's breathtaking yearly wildflower bloom!

Still have questions? Send me a message over email to connect. Happy Trails!