Trip Report: Columbia River Gorge: Waterfalls, Wildflowers, & Seascapes - April 2025

I recently guided the Backcountry Journeys ‘Columbia River Gorge’ workshop and let me tell you, this was one for the books. The Pacific Northwest has always held a truly special place in my heart and this trip captures the very best aspects of the region. From the highest density of tall waterfalls in North America in the iconic Columbia River Gorge to vibrant wildflowers in peak bloom to stunning seascapes on the Oregon coast, what else could you ask for. This trip is a landscape photographer’s dream come true, and it was a privilege and pleasure to lead.

For this departure I was joined by 7 passionate photographers and together we set out from Portland to Hood River and the Gorge, to the Coast and back. This was a really great group and before we knew it lively conversation, jokes, banter, and laughter were filling the van.  Throughout our departure, we found some really nice conditions, enjoyed lovely natural light, and photographed some stunning landscapes and subjects.

If you’re looking for a really great landscape-focused trip exploring the heart of the Pacific Northwest during the peak spring season with rushing waterfalls, flowers in bloom, huge tidal fluctuations, and snow-capped volcanoes in the distance, I really can’t recommend this trip enough.

Alright, let’s get into it and dive into our day-by-day experience on the ‘Columbia River Gorge: Waterfalls, Wildflowers, & Seascapes’ workshop!

Day 0 – Sunday, April 27th 

This trip starts in Portland, which is the perfect jumping off point. After spending several days scouting the area, I headed back to the city to pick up some excited guests. We all met up for Orientation at our starting hotel and got to know one another.

After going over some trip details we grabbed a nice bite to eat at a restaurant close to the hotel. Everyone was excited for the journey ahead and we all got to know one another bit better. After dinner, we hit the hay early in preparation for the adventure ahead.

Day 1 – Monday, April 28th 

We woke up fairly early on the first real day of the workshop, grabbed a quick bite at the hotel, and hit the road. It was a totally overcast day which, of course, isn’t ideal for a sunrise shoot but the conditions were perfect for the subjects we were here for – Waterfalls.

We headed due east out of Portland and quickly met up with the force that had largely shaped the landscape around us – The Columbia River. Starting far to the North in Canada, this massive and powerful river runs south until it enters the United States in Washington. It then starts to make its way westward towards the Pacific forming the border between Washington and Oregon. The river begins to cut through more dramatic topography caused by volcanic uplift – the same force that has formed the many towering volcanoes in the region. The Gorge, our first destination of the trip, sits right in the middle of Mt Hood, Mt Adams, and Mt St. Helens.

After about 30 minutes of driving, the rolling hills are replaced with slightly taller hills that soon transform into steep gradients and even vertical cliff faces along the river. This dramatic and steep terrain combined with snowmelt and ample rainfall all come together to create the perfect recipe for towering and cascading waterfalls. In fact the Columbia River Gorge has the highest density of tall waterfalls in North America with over 77 in a 240-square mile area.

As the landscape began to transform, we exited the drab freeway and opted for the scenic route which is the original “highway” that was built in the 1920s – A simple country road by today’s standards but it’s more my speed. We drove through beautiful green scenery and eventually arrived at our first destination – Latourell Falls.

This is one my favorite waterfalls in the entire Gorge and it’s easy to access. It’s the perfect first location for the trip. We easily made our way up to the small foot bridge that sits directly below the waterfall and everyone started shooting. This was the “warm up round” and everyone was able to figure out their camera settings, experiment with filters, and settle into the waterfall photography workflow. Before we knew it people were putting on boots and booties and getting into the creek for some really nice perspectives and compositions. This was a great first shot location and before we knew it, we were on to the next. 

Up next was Bridal Veil Falls, probably one of the most common names for any waterfall anywhere, but this one is beautiful nonetheless and far from ordinary. This is a two-tiered waterfall, and you can shoot it from multiple angles. On top of that the creek just below is stunning as well.  

We spent a good amount of time here allowing everyone to move around and capture a nice variety of shots. While we were photographing the stream we noticed a quick flash of blue in the air as a Stellar Jay darted through the forest. Of course, this is a landscape trip but as a passionate wildlife photography I’ll take any opportunity I can get. I grabbed my telephoto lens and managed to capture some nice shots.  

The third waterfall of the morning was another personal favorite – Wahkeena Falls. This is another complex and multi-tiered waterfall that starts with a few very tall free-falls before turning into a steep cascading creek. Again, there are lots of shot opportunities here so the whole group spent some time exploring.

All three of these waterfalls are in very close proximity of one another and have easy access which allowed us to capture all three in just a few hours.

We then grabbed a nice lunch at Thunder Island Brewing before making our way to Hood River, Oregon. This would be our home base for the next two days. As we drove further east we were treated to a dynamic sky almost completely filled with Lenticular clouds. These clouds are an indication of high winds in the upper atmosphere and usually only pop up in isolated areas often near tall mountains, but that day was special. I’ve never seen so many of these clouds before.

We made it to Hood River and drove to a nice scenic overlook that gave us a clear view of the towering and dramatic Mt Hood – made even more dramatic by the cloudy sky. We all captured some nice shots and then checked into our hotel.

For the evening, we headed out to Columbia Hills State Park to capture some nice images of the blooming Balsam Root and Lupine flowers that coat the landscape this time of year. It was quite windy that evening, but we enjoyed our time amongst the flowers nonetheless.


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Day 2 – Tuesday, April 29th 

The following morning was overcast yet again but that was quite alright as we had some very special waterfalls lined up for the day. We were able to get a bit of extra sleep since a sunrise shoot was out of the option but still arose early. We loaded up the van and set out for arguably the most iconic and photographed scene in the entire Pacific Northwest – Multnomah Falls.

As one of the taller waterfalls in the entire Gorge with a beautiful stone bridge crossing over a break in the falls and surrounded by lush greenery. It’s no surprise why this is such a popular attraction. We got here early before the crowds and had the entire place to ourselves for the most part. We all managed to get images of the bridge without any pedestrians and captured the upper falls as well.

We then headed back to Hood River and grabbed a nice breakfast/brunch at the Egg River Café - a lovely little diner with delicious food. The clouds were slowly starting to break up, but I was hopeful they would stick around for just a bit longer as our next destination was undoubtedly my favorite waterfall in the entire Gorge. We crossed the Columbia over into Washington and made the drive out to Panther Creek Falls.

This is a truly unique and special waterfall that sits just enough off the beaten path that it’s rarely busy. There are two main viewing platforms here showing different parts of this multi-tiered waterfall that lies deep in the woods.

When we arrived, the sun was peeking through but there were still some clouds in the sky. We hiked down the steep trail and arrived at the falls. The group spread out and we all started shooting. Luckily, we got a decent amount of cloud cover and were able to avoid harsh sunlight. We all explored the falls and the creeks, and everyone managed to capture some nice images.

This is the type of waterfall you could easily spend an entire day photographing but after a few hours it was time to head out and continue our day.

We made it back to Hood River, had a bit of downtime, and then the adventure was back on. After grabbing some dinner in town, we headed due south directly towards Mt Hood. We drove through the “fruit belt” named for the fertile volcanic soil and countless orchards and vineyards in the region. Eventually we arrived at our sunset location – a nice opening in the thick forests enveloping the region giving us a clear view of the volcano. We managed to capture some nice colors on Mt Hood as the sun set.

Day 3 – Wednesday, April 30th 

For our final morning in the Gorge, we were treated with some sunshine. We woke up before the dawn, loaded up our luggage, and set out for the day’s sunrise shoot.

We arrived at the Rowena Crest overlook with plenty of time to spare before the sun popped into the eastern sky. We all spread out and found some nice compositions featuring colorful flowers including yellow Balsam Root and purple Lupine. As the sun rose, we all managed to capture some nice and sharp sunstars and just like that the day had started.

After everyone had captured some nice images and thoroughly explored the seemingly endless fields of wildflowers it was time for breakfast and our drive through Portland and out west to the Pacific. We crossed the Willamette river, enjoyed some scenes of downtown, and then left the hustle and bustle behind. As the roads shrank and the trees grew we drove through the small coastal range eventually arriving at our next home base – Cannon Beach. We checked into our hotel, grabbed a delicious dinner at Driftwood, and set out for the sunset shoot.

If Multnomah falls is the most iconic scene in the Pacific Northwest, then Cannon Beach just might have to sit in second place. With the towering ‘Haystack’ Rock protruding from the coastline, pristine beaches as far as the eye can see, and flocks of seabirds nesting on the massive sea stack, this place is wonderful.

We arrived with plenty of time to get set up and started capturing images as the sky turned into a colorful gradient fading from bright orange to dark blue and eventually black. As the waves came in and out and as the tide slowly changed the group spread out and we all captured the beauty of Cannon Beach in our own unique ways.

As the sunset slowly started to fade the crescent moon and a few planets and bright starts became more obvious. We all kept shooting until it was almost completely dark out before retiring for the evening. Our first shoot on the coast was a success to say the least! 

Day 4 – Thursday, May 1st 

The last full day of our workshop began at Indian Beach in Ecola State Park just north of Cannon Beach. We shot sunrise at a scenic overlook with views of the small bay and beach and then headed down to the water’s edge shortly after. This is a great spot with a wide variety of subjects to shoot. From marine wildlife like starfish, sea anemones, and gulls, to crashing waves, distant lighthouses, and more, there was no shortage of intriguing subject matter. We all spent a few hours exploring and capturing the magic of Indian Beach and then headed back to the hotel for some breakfast.

We were staying at the Cannon Beach Inn which is a lovely little hotel right in the heart of the town and just off the coast. This by far my favorite hotel on the trip and it’s a lovely place to spend a few nights.

After some breakfast/brunch we headed south down the coast to Tillamook, Oregon - Yes, the very same Tillamook that produces the cheese, ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy products. We drove through the town, past the factory, and out onto the Cape Maeres Peninsula. We spent the afternoon walking around, enjoying the sunshine, and capturing some images from elevated vantage points. After this we grabbed an early dinner at Pelican Brewing and then set out for our Sunset shoot.

Our last sunset of the trip had to be one of my favorites. Our location was Short Beach - another somewhat hidden gem in the region. After a quick but steep hike down, we arrived at the rocky shoreline. This may not be one of those pristine soft-sandy beaches, but the scattered dark stones create some absolutely wonderful photo opportunities.  

We all set up our tripods and cameras just above where the waves were crashing and began to capture long-exposure images of the water as it crashed over and then flowed between the rocks. This is one of my absolute favorite things to shoot on the coast and I could have kept shooting this scene for 8-10 hours straight without hesitation. The thrill of timing your shutter and exposure perfectly with the water as it trickles back out to sea forming complex patterns as the foam squeezes through rocks is something I absolutely love.  

The whole group was enthralled with the shoot and eventually the golden hour turned to sunset and then the blue hour began. We all shot up until it started to get fairly dark and then made our way back up the windy trail to the van. This was an excellent final sunset shoot on the coast and the group really enjoyed getting creative and capturing some more abstract long exposure images.  

Day 5 – Friday, May 2nd 

For the final shoot of the trip we set out for one last sunrise at Chapman Beach, which is really just an extension of Cannon Beach to the north. This is a lovely location with views of Haystack Rock in the background and lovely golden grass in the foreground. You can also shoot in both directions allowing for a nice variety in compositions.

We all enjoyed the sunrise, captured some nice images, and took in the beauty of the Oregon Coast one last time. After this, we grabbed a quick breakfast and began the trek back to Portland. When we made it back we all said our goodbyes and each member of the group went on their way, heading back home.

This was an absolutely spectacular trip, shared with a great group of passionate photographers, in some of the most beautiful and photogenic places on earth. I can’t wait to head back out here sometime soon.