Outdoor Adventures: Columbia River Wildflowers

 

Many visits to the Columbia River Gorge hinge around hikes to famous waterfalls and views from high vistas. On this list of Best Outdoor Adventures of 2015, another Gorge feature is gaining some attention: Wildflowers. While they only can be seen at certain times during the year, the wildflower display on Gorge hillsides is truly memorable:

NO. 11: COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE WILDFLOWERS 

They are nature's fireworks display, but instead of exploding in the air, they come up through the ground. 

Blooms of wildflowers that arrive with spring provide a great reason to get outdoors, and few places in the Pacific Northwest offer better showcase than the eastern side of the Columbia River Gorge. 

Entire hillsides transform into fields of gold during peak blooms, turning already great hikes into memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
On a trip last spring, I explored five of the best places to enjoy these wildflowers, including the Mosier Plateau, Rowena Crest / Tom McCall Preserve, Memaloose Hills, Catherine Creek and Columbia Hills State Park.

SRC: See the entire list of outdoor adventures here: www.statesmanjournal.com/story/travel/outdoors/2015/12/28/best-outdoor-adventures-2015-no-11-columbia-gorge-wildflowers/77962968/

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