The ½-mile Overlook Trail offers magnificent views of the Columbia River along the paved loop. You’ll see dramatic rock formations, including Archer Mountain, Hamilton Mountain, Beacon Rock and the famous geologic edifice known as Pillars of Hercules. The trail also passes a patch of forest scarred by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.

Signs along the trail point out distinctive native wild plants that grow abundantly in this area, such as camas, lupine, bead lily, trillium and bleeding heart.

Picnic tables and restrooms are within easy walking distance from the parking area. A large lawn afford visitors a chance to stretch a blanket in one of the laziest parts of the Columbia River Gorge.

Directions

Bridal Veil Falls State Park is located near milepost 28 on the Historic Columbia River Scenic Highway and is accessed off I-84 at Exit 28. Travel west on the Historic Columbia River Highway about 3/4 of a mile to the entrance of Bridal Veil Falls State Park.

The Witch’s Castle (also known as the Stone House) sits on land that was claimed in 1850 by Danford Balch, who had ventured west on the Oregon trail with his wife and children. At the time, the land was mostly thick forest and Balch needed help clearing enough of the area to build his home. He hired a man named Mortimer Stump to assist with the task. Stump moved in with the Balch family and it didn’t take long for Balch’s eldest daughter Anna to fall in love with him.

Balch was appalled at this thought of his daughter marrying a common working man like Stump (he owned much of Portland by this time) and immediately forbade her from going through with it. If history has taught us anything, forbidding a young girl from marrying the love of her life never ends well. Ahem… Juliet.

The young couple fled to Vancouver to elope, and upon their return to Portland, Mortimer paid the price…Balch shot him in the face with his shotgun while he stood on a riverboat. Yikes. According to some accounts, Balch himself claimed his wife “bewitched” him into committing the crime, so that she would once again have her daughter by her side.

The logical conclusion is that Stump is haunting the woods he helped clear, in revenge of that brutal attack. Balch was later hanged for his crime, and his ghost is also said to guard the forests he once called his home.

GETTING THERE

The Witch’s Castle in Portland is located in Forest Park, about a 5-minute drive from downtown. There are two ways to get there. The first is a short half mile hike from the Upper Macleay Parking Lot near the Portland Audubon Society. The other is a slightly longer, 3/4 mile hike from the Lower Macleay Parking Lot located at NW 30th and Upshur. Both are beautiful hikes through the forest taking you right to the Witch’s Castle.

The trails are very easy to walk. They are wide and flat, perfect for hikers of almost any level. On the way, you will pass gorgeous streams, tiny waterfalls, and moss-covered branches.

Edgefield's 74 acres include distillery, brewery, winery, numerous small bars, spa, soaking pool, golf course, movie theater, event spaces, live music, and fires for gathering – create your own adventure! Plenty of bicycle parking is available at our racks across from the Power Station.

You can access the property with out staying at the hotel. There are plenty of fun things to do at Edgefield!

If you're looking for a quick and easy hike with some great views up and down the Columbia River Gorge, look no further than the Beacon Rock Trail. It's not a flat stroll by any stretch of the imagination, but it is one of the easier hikes in the Gorge with stellar views, especially on the Washington side

Beacon Rock overlooks a breathtaking section of the Columbia River Gorge, a deep, wide gouge in the earth carved by Ice Age floods. The mighty Columbia River rushes down to the ocean in a froth of whitecaps, bisecting Washington and Oregon, with walls of columnar basalt and mountains rising thousands of feet on both sides.

PARK FEATURES

Beacon Rock State Park is a 4,458-acre, year-round camping park located in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Beacon Rock itself is the core of an ancient volcano. The park includes 9,500 feet of freshwater shoreline on the Columbia River and more than 26 miles of roads and trails open to hiking, mountain biking and equestrian use.

Built in 1914, Pittock Mansion was a modern home with unique architecture and the latest technology. Experience the story of Portland through the lives of one of its most influential families and get to know the pioneer spirit behind its transformation from “stumptown” to modern, industrial city.

https://www.instagram.com/portlandfarmers/

Built in 1937, Timberline Lodge has always been a grand refuge for visitors wanting to experience the magnificent and expansive high-alpine environment of Mt. Hood. A night (or a few) enjoyed in the comfort and warmth of the Lodge is like stepping back into simpler times, yet with all modern conveniences discreetly available. This beautiful 55,000 square foot structure rises out of a pristine alpine landscape and is still being used for its original intent – a magnificent ski lodge and mountain retreat for everyone to enjoy. Timberline is open year-round and offers skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, site seeing, and more. Legendary and awe-inspiring, Timberline is a tribute to the rugged spirit of the Pacific Northwest.

Timberline Lodge is open daily for public visitation from 7am to 11pm. After 11pm, the lodge is closed and the doors are locked.