I went bikepacking in the Gorge to let the wind rewrite my plans. The route was simple on paper: roll the Historic Highway from Troutdale, thread the state trail to Cascade Locks, cruise through Hood River toward Mosier and Rowena Crest, then arc back along the river. In practice, it felt like riding inside a living map—water, stone, and switchbacks all arguing about who’s in charge.
Day 1 — Troutdale → Cascade Locks (≈ 35 mi / 2,800 ft)
The morning starts cool and mossy. I climb toward Crown Point in my smallest gear, the river widening below like a bruise-colored ribbon. At the Vista House the wind shoves me a step sideways and the view fixes everything I thought I needed to worry about. From there it’s old pavement and quiet shoulders, waterfalls flashing in the corner of my eye, then onto car-free sections of the state trail where the only noise is chain and birds.
Cascade Locks arrives with the smell of pine and fry oil. I camp in earshot of the river and fall asleep to freight horns stitching the cliffs together.
Day 2 — Cascade Locks → Hood River → Mosier & Rowena Crest (≈ 43 mi / 3,300 ft)
I chase morning light to Hood River for coffee and a grocery run, then angle east toward Mosier. The grade eases as I glide onto the old highway bed; the railings trade posts for basalt, and the wind turns into a metronome instead of a slap. The Twin Tunnels echo with freehub noise and laughter from passing riders—stone, light, stone again—then I’m out on the cliffs with the river spread below like bright steel.
Past Mosier the road arcs into Rowena Crest, where the switchbacks stack like a ribbon dropped on the hillside. I spin to the top, lean the bike on the stone wall, and eat half a bag of gummy bears before remembering lunch exists. Camp is a little patch above the river; dusk paints the basalt gold and then takes it all back.
Day 3 — Rowena → Bridge of the Gods → Troutdale (≈ 41 mi / 2,100 ft)
Morning trades cliffs for river flats and a tailwind that feels like an apology. I turn west, tuck into the bars, and let the miles unspool. By Cascade Locks, the air smells like cedar and salt. The Bridge of the Gods clatters under my tires—steel, wind, river—and the whole valley opens like a book you’re not ready to finish. The last stretch back to Troutdale is a soft-focus replay of day one, minus the nerves and plus a deep, satisfied quiet.
Route Sketch
Troutdale → Crown Point (Vista House) → car-free segments of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail to Cascade Locks → Hood River → Mosier → Rowena Crest → return west along river corridors → Bridge of the Gods → Troutdale. Build days around wind and viewpoints; everything else behaves if you do.