Welcome to the Hood River Valley

The Hood River Valley in Hood River County lies to the south of the city of Hood River.  Its variety of orchards and farms make it a very appealing area for visitors offering scenic views and activities throughout the year that feature local agricultural products.  

The city and the valley are well-served by a variety of highways and byways.  The major thoroughfare is Interstate 84 running parallel to the river with Exits 62, 63 and 64 providing access to the city.  State route OR35 runs along the east side of the valley and the county connecting Interstate 84 with the Mount Hood area and US26, the main highway between Portland and Central Oregon.  OR35 northbound leads to White Salmon on WA14 in Washington state.

Panorama Point, between OR35 and East Side Road and east of downtown Hood River, offers excellent views of the valley and Mount Hood. OR35 / The Mount Hood Highway is part of two scenic routes.  One is the newly-created Mount Hood Scenic Byway which begins in
Troutdale and follows or is adjacent to US26 until it connects with OR35 northbound to the city of Hood River.  The other scenic route is the Hood River Fruit Loop (map), which runs along US30 in town and forms a circular tour of the valley.  East Side Road, which lies parallel to OR35 and a short distance to its east, forms part of the eastern segment of the loop.

There are several buildings of historical and architectural interest in Hood River county that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Mount Hood Railroad, which runs between downtown Hood River and the farming community of Parkdale, is also listed.  The railroad runs excursions that are very popular in the summer and on other occasions during the year.

The railroad stops near the Hutson Museum in Parkdale which has exhibits related to the farming communities in the area. The Ries-Thompson Building is on the museum's grounds and the old Valley Theater, which is now a market, is adjacent on the town's main street.  Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Landmarks.

Parkdale is on the Dee Highway which runs from downtown Hood River to the small community of Mount Hood on OR35.

The Mount Hood Schoolhouse is another historical landmark.  It began by serving the early settlers when it was a one-room schoolhouse on a camping site adjacent to an Indian trail over Mount Hood.  It was later moved to its present site and expanded.  It continues to serve the local community.

The Mount Hood Loop of the Oregon Cascades birding trail (map) has several sites in the county for watching birds.

The Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation web site has information about county parks in the valley.

The city of Hood River has a good selection of hotels and motels as well as a variety of places for dining.  There are also bed and breakfast facilities in the valley area.

Airports:  Portland International Airport provides commercial passenger services.  It is approximately 57 miles / 92 km to the west via Interstate 84. Hood River Airport-Ken Jernstedt Airfield on the south side of Hood River provides general aviation services.

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