Port of Cascade Locks on the Columbia River

Port of Cascade Locks – Our cruising destination this week lies in the heart of the Columbia Gorge

Port of Cascade Locks is one of the oldest towns on the Columbia River. In their journals, Lewis and Clark described this section of the river – the Cascade Rapids – as the “great rapids of the Cascades.” This stretch of raging water was formed by a huge landslide long ago and is more than two miles long. In 1880, because of the hazard vessels faced navigating the rapids, the US Government started to build locks to provide safe passage around the rapids. The older locks were completed in 1896, and the Cascade Locks were born. The completion of the newer Bonneville Lock and Dam in 1938 turned the river fronting Cascade Locks into a magnificent lake known for lively currents.

Sometimes we feel as though we are modern-day explorers of the many divergent waterways in America and Canada. It is daunting to think back on all the places we’ve cruised. However, most of the time, it seems we have just skimmed the surface.

After being in Portland for a short while we felt it was time to scout around by boat. It was time to explore east, up the Columbia River and into the Columbia Gorge Scenic Area. From Hayden Island in Portland, where our marina is, it’s close enough to cruise up into the Gorge as a day trip and immediately we feel like we’ve been transported into another world. The Gorge is home to a great many waterfalls – 77 alone on the Oregon side with the 620-foot Multnomah Falls being the granddaddy of them all. We’ve seen it before by land, but from the water, it looked grandeur.

We cruised 48 miles on a sunny, clear, and calm day to our final destination of Port of Cascade Locks, to meet up with friends and family, at different times, during our two-day stay. During that time we will visit the old Cascade Lock, Bonneville Lock and Dam, the Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center, and the Bridge of the Gods.

More info on the Columbia River

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We stopped at Port Camas, on the Washington side of the river, for a pump out and to refuel. We made note of the nice boat ramp at the marina.

We departed for a 3-day, two-night adventure with plans to meet friends Eric and Patti, who drove up in Their “Rig” to meet and stay at the RV park adjacent to the marina. There they are (above) on the tip of Thunder Island, waving and waiting for us to arrive. After transiting the Bonneville Lock we rounded the river towards Cascade Locks (the former lock and name of the small river town we were staying) to be greeted by Eric, Patti, and their grandson.

The marina at Cascade Locks has a free dock that we took advantage of. No water or power is available and has a 72-hour limit.

Cascade Locks Marine Park consists of park lawns, historical structures, a campground, a boat ramp, a marina, a beach, public art, and a historical museum. The Port is also home to the Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge paddlewheel riverboat, leased to the Portland Spirit for seasonal day cruise operations from Cascade Locks.

Bridge of the Gods – The Bridge Through Time

The Bridge of the Gods, a 1,131-foot-long, cantilever bridge built in 1938, is located at Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 148, nearly three miles upstream of Bonneville Dam, and just downstream of the historic canal and locks at Cascade Locks. Currently, the Bridge of the Gods is a toll bridge with motor and foot traffic access and is a critical connection between the states of Washington and Oregon. The bridge is also the Columbia River crossing for the Pacific Crest Trail.

On the south support structure of the Bridge of the Gods is a large mural depicting the native American legend, local wildlife, and historical events of the Cascade Rapids, Cascade Locks, and Bridge of the Gods area. The mural, by Larry Kangas, was completed in May 2002.

Just around the corner from the Bridge of Gods sat this fruit stand, part of a weekend Farmer’s Market. We needed some fruit and liked that the apples were locally grown.

The Bonneville Dam is a hydroelectric dam built across three islands. Once known as the “Cascade Rapids“, this area was a major obstacle to navigation on the Columbia. The Rapids were a result of the Bonneville Landslide, a massive landslide that gave rise to the legend of the Bridge of the Gods.

The next day we all drove over to the Bonneville Lock and Dam in Eric and Patti’s “rig” to take a lengthy educational tour of the locks and dam which included a tutorial of the surrounding area. We all learned a lot. One of the ancillary benefits of being on the water is the history that’s associated with the early beginnings of many towns and historic landmarks. The waterways are a significant part of history as they were used to move people and goods everywhere. What better way to pique our curiosity about an area than to visit towns, by boat, we’ve never been to before to learn about how they came to be and what historical marine content they possess?

Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Sturgeon Center, constructed in 1909, is Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife’s largest hatchery facility. Featuring a very diverse fish production program, it is used for adult collection, egg incubation and rearing of tule fall Chinook, adult collection of fall Chinook upriver brights, and adult collection and spawning of coho. It is also used for the rearing of summer steelhead, winter steelhead, and coho.

On our second night at Cascade Locks, we met our son and his family for dinner at Thunder Island Brewing Co. We sat outside at a table overlooking the river, Thunder Island, and the old lock. We walked along the river, through the marine park and playground, and past the old abandoned Cascade Lock. Silas always likes being on the boat and by the water, so Cascade Locks was an ideal spot for them to meet us.

We left the next morning, leaving the eastern portion of the Columbia River for another adventure.