Accessible Trails in The Dalles Area

Deschutes River State Park

Directions:

Off Hwy 206, 17 miles E of The Dalles. To find the trail, drive east of Portland on Interstate 84 past The Dalles to the Celilo exit (No. 97). Drive the frontage road on the south side of the freeway three miles east to the entry to Deschutes River State Park. If you're coming from the east, leave I-84 at Biggs and drive the frontage road four miles west.

Features:

Deschutes River State Recreation Area is a gateway to riverside hiking, biking and equestrian trail adventures as well as to river rafting and angling experiences. Its campground and boating
facilities are near the confluence of the Deschutes and Columbia rivers in the east end of the Columbia River Gorge. There are no ADA accessible trails here, but some of the easier trails may be suitable for some - as such they are listed here.

The Blackberry Trail leads two miles along flat terrain at the river’s edge. It is paralleled by the Riverview Trail, a two-mile route along a terrace above the river. Together, the two trails form a four-mile loop.
The third trail—the Ferry Springs Trail—forms a scenic loop toward the canyon rim that affords views of the surrounding hills and the river.

The Old Railbed Trail is a 16-mile, relatively flat trail up the canyon that is suitable for mountain bikes and horses (for tho. A good turnaround point is the old Harris ranch at 12 miles. The trail is dirt and gravel surface and not suited for narrow tires nor is it considered accessible. It is not verified how power mobility devices would manage on this trail; this is a semi-wilderness experience and anyone that attempts this should not do it alone and should come prepared with a patch kit in the event of a flat tire. Camping (regulated) is allowed along the trail. Good camping spots at about mile 4 (at the only real descent/climb on the route) and mile 8 (just past the second abandoned railcar). From a mountain biker's trip report, "At night, trains (on the other side of the canyon) rumble through. Both spots have pit toilets and ample camping. The scenery is spectacular and you get a wonderful sense of remoteness just a few miles in, as long as you do it outside the peak summer rafting season." Also see Terry Richard's Blog.

Other:

See Oregon State Parks brochure. Carry plenty of water; summer temperatures can rise up to 110 degrees.

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center

Directions:

5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles

Features:

The 50 acres surrounding the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and the banks of the Columbia are habitat supportive of many life forms. A flat, paved accessible, interpretive trail winds through five acre of the grounds, past a pond and flowering native plants.

There is a much longer paved trail that goes for many miles beyond the site, but it has steep sections. Click here for photos of The Dalles Riverfront Trail.

This setting of cottonwoods, willows, cattails and sedges which give shelter and food to turtles, ducks, geese, eagles, raccoon, and songbirds. The trail also cuts through restored eastern Gorge vegetation featuring abundant wildflowers April through June, and golden hills and grasses in late summer. At any time of the year, visitors will be treated to seasonal display of wildlife, signs interpreting flowers in bloom, and stunning vistas of the Columbia River Gorge and Klickitat hills.

Other:

The exhibits and all restrooms are fully accessible. A wheelchair is available for use.  There are handicap parking spaces on the east side of the building, but the door on that side does not yet have an automatic door button.  For this reason, they recommend that you park in the main parking lot and use the front entrance. See the center's Web site.