INTRO

White Salmon, in WA, and Hood River, in OR, are separated by The Columbia River. They two towns are ~10 minutes apart from each other and the area is known as the wind surfing capitol of the US. Both towns have cute downtowns, tons of outdoor activities, and an abundance of breweries.

We opted to stay in White Salmon, because it was slightly more affordable, though has just as much going on.

LODGING & RECS

White Salmon Surf Shack, Airbnb ~$136+/night

This airbnb had everything that we needed. It’s walkable to downtown White Salmon, has a nice fenced in yard for dogs, a hot tub, and is clean and comfortable. Airbnb rating is 4.9.

listing

I recommend White Salmon or Hood River for a weekend trip, but depending on your interests, you could easily spend 4-5 days there. Given the combination of outdoor activities, breweries and restaurants, you can plan your trip to spend as much (or little) time at your accommodations as you want. Below are a few more lodging recommendations:

BRUNCH

White Salmon Baking Co.  

• Yelp
• Google

ACTIVITES

If time is limited, I recommend doing the below activites:

White Planet Rafting and Kayaking

The company is superb and the instructors are knowledgable and fun. We opted for the half-day adventure, which is $89/person, but they offer longer guided tours, including multi-day trips.

Coyote Wall Loop Trail, 6.8M | Moderate

This is a really nice trail that offers unparalleled views of the Columbia River. Be ready for a bit of wind, and note that the trail doesn’t have much shade on hot days.

If you have a few more days, I’d look at Big Winds for windsurfing, wing foiling, and e-foiling lessons. Check out Mountain View Cycles for mountain bike rentals and/or take a drive to Tamanawas Falls, a 3.4M trek to a year-round waterfall.

LUNCH & DINNER

Feast serves lunch and Kickstand serves brunch and lunch.

Feast Market & Delicatessen 

This is a nice restaurant with solid farm-to-table style food, which is harder to find in the area. The back patio, which like many Hood River/White Salmon patios, is not dog friendly but offers tremendous views of Mt. Rainier. The octopus is a must get. If you’re staying in White Salmon and want a “nicer” dinner, this is the place to go. AD Review: 4.45.

• Yelp
• Google

Kickstand Coffee and Kitchen 

I loved this spot. It has a cool, trendy indoor/outdoor space (dogs allowed!) with sometimes live music. The food is elevated, creatively twisted bar food, which is always one of my favorite genres of food, and the cocktails are good. Everything is well executed. AD Review: 4.75.

• Yelp
• Google

Pixan Taqueria & Cantina   

The food quality here is decent, but it’s almost like they’re trying to be too cutesy, especially when simplicity and highlighting ingredients is such a successful recipe for traditional Mexican dishes. Ok spot, with undoubtedly solid food, but we would probably check something else out next time we’re in town. It’s worth noting that according to his Instagram, Kenji Lopez-Alt loved this spot. Seems to be very kid friendly. AD Review: 4.15.

• Yelp
• Google

**Notable mention, Kenji Alt-Lopez’s wife said that the salmon from Henni’s Kitchen and Bar, in White Salmon, was the best salmon that she’s every had. We opted to try Feast instead of Henni’s and TBD, don’t have any regrets. Maybe next time we’ll try Henni’s instead of Pixan.

Pixan, Feast and Kickstand (in order)

DRINK

Everybody's Brewing 

We enjoyed frequenting this brewery, as it was a short walk from our airbnb. Note it is one of the few breweries that is not dog friendly. It’s a family friendly spot. The service was great and the drink selection was good. AD Review: 4.4

Enjoying a cocktail at Kickstand.

While we didn’t have time to try some of the other notable breweries/bars in the area, but in future trips, we hope to try Pfriem Family Brewers, Ferment Brewing Company and Camp 1805 Distillery & Bar.

There’s also an abundance of wineries in the area, which include X,YZ.