Klickitat County: Culture, Nature and Active Days
Accommodation in Klickitat County
Klickitat County combines the scenery of the Columbia River Gorge with remarkable history, museums and diverse opportunities for active days. The county lies where the Columbia River Gorge cuts through the eastern slopes of the Cascade Mountains. This creates an interesting mix for planning your trip: you can focus on culture and history, explore hiking trails and wetlands, or plan water sports and winter activities. When choosing a vacation rental or holiday home, it is therefore worth considering first which of these experiences should define your trip.
Culture and History Around Maryhill and Goldendale
One particularly notable destination is the Maryhill Museum of Art near Goldendale. It is housed in a Beaux-Arts mansion on 5,300 acres high above the Columbia River. The collection includes a gallery with 80 works by Auguste Rodin; in the William and Catherine Dickson Sculpture Park, visitors can also see large-scale sculptures from the permanent collection. The Lewis and Clark Overlook is also part of the outdoor grounds. The museum is additionally an official site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.
Near the community of Maryhill stands the Stonehenge Memorial, a full-scale replica three miles east of the Maryhill Museum of Art. It was dedicated in 1918 as a World War I memorial to the soldiers from Klickitat County who died in the war. The memorial and the Klickitat County Veterans Memorial are open daily from 7 a.m. until dusk. In Goldendale, the Presby Museum in the Presby Mansion tells another part of the region’s history; the museum was dedicated on August 18, 1962. The Gorge Heritage Museum is also housed in a historic building, the former Bingen Congregational Church.
Hiking Trails, Water and Distinctive Nature Experiences
For hiking, Columbia Hills Historical State Park offers about seven miles of trails from the Crawford Oaks and Dalles Mountain Ranch trailheads. Guided tours to Tsagaglalal, “She Who Watches,” take place on Fridays and Saturdays at 9 a.m. from April through October. From April through October, the Temani-Pesh-Wa exhibit is also open during daylight hours. At Horsethief Lake, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks are available for rent during the main season. Depending on your daily plans, this lets you choose between history, hiking and time on the water.
The Klickitat State Park Trail follows the Klickitat River through Swale Canyon. Its access points generally have neither cell service nor drinking water; the trailhead in Lyle is an exception. The Klickitat Trail is a 31-mile former railroad corridor connecting Lyle and Goldendale. Those looking for a longer route or a historic landscape connection will find a different approach here than on the shorter trails.
The Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge contains extensive wetlands that provide habitat for numerous migratory birds and resident elk. At the headquarters, there is a wildlife-viewing platform, parking and restrooms. The refuge is open exclusively for day use from sunrise to sunset. The Willard Springs Trail is a two-mile loop along the edge of the open marsh and through pine forests; along the way, it offers views across the former bed of Conboy Lake toward Mount Adams.
Planning Active Excursions to Suit Your Accommodation
Klickitat County also offers several options for sports-oriented trips. The north shore of the Columbia River in the county provides access for windsurfing. Between B-Z Corners and Northwestern Lake, the White Salmon River offers whitewater rafting and kayaking. Trout Lake provides access to the Mount Adams Recreation Area as well as snow-play areas for cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. If you are traveling with people who have different interests, these contrasts can play a role in choosing your accommodation: cultural attractions, hikes, water activities and winter offerings each create different priorities for planning your days.
An appointment is required to visit the visitor center and observatory at Goldendale Observatory. It houses one of the largest publicly accessible telescopes in the United States. You should take such fixed visiting requirements into account in your planning, along with the seasonal schedules for tours, exhibits and rentals.
Places for Further Orientation
If you would like to narrow down your search for a suitable vacation rental or accommodation, you can also view the destination pages for Goldendale, Lyle, Bingen, White Salmon and Trout Lake. This allows you to focus your further research more closely on culture, river landscapes, hiking or winter activities without losing sight of the diversity of Klickitat County.
For the broader travel overview: Washington.
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