The newest section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail is also one of the most spectacular, offering miles of car-free riding, sweeping views of the river, and access to five waterfalls, including the 190-foot Starvation Creek Falls.
This ride starts at our e-bike rental location in Cascade Locks (15 Herman Creek Lane), where your Bike the Gorge host will give you a detailed training on how to our e-bikes and make sure you feel comfortable before hitting the road.
Our recommended ride route starts with 4.5 miles on a low-traffic shared roadway through the forest before connecting with the Historic Highway State Trail at Wyeth Trailhead.
The next 6+ miles of car-free riding will take you past three waterfalls (with the option to hike to two more) en route to the popular swimming hole at Viento State Park, which is the perfect place to relax and cool off halfway into your ride.
We’d talked about biking the Gorge for almost a year. We’d walked sections and knew it would be a great adventure. Bob wanted to cover as much territory as possible…I looked forward to having some great exercise while enjoying the beautiful Columbia Gorge. Bike The Gorge gave us the perfect way to accomplish both our goals. The entire process was so easy! We signed up online. Ben met us at the starting point and gave us clear instructions about the bike’s operation as well as a proposed route. He reassured us that we’d enjoy our trip! And he was so right. I didn’t think we’d spend the entire 3.5 hours out on the trail…but we did! I recommend this adventure and suggest making Bike The Gorge your first experience!
We had an amazing time using the e-bikes for our group of friends to explore the gorge. I had never used an e-bike before, but he made sure that we were comfortable before we set off. The trails and waterfalls along the way were beautiful! I highly recommend this experience with Bike the Gorge!
Every aspect of this adventure was AMAZING! Booking was easy, Customer Service was top notch, bikes were brand new. The route was beautiful. Ben was super informative and helpful. Will do this again and refer ALL my friends and Family
Fantastic break from long miles on summer vacation road trip! Easy off the highway- quick to transition to bikes - beautiful bike only trail (fairly easy road ride on e-bike up large hill to the trail) e-bikes in great condition with comfortable saddle. Only negative is that you parallel the interstate…so you get road noise. BUT, you get wonderful views of the gorge and you ride in and out of sun/shade making ride enjoyable on hot day. I will definitely return again! Fantastic waterfall stops!!
You have to "Bike the Gorge"These guys are amazing. This is a wonderful way to spend a day. From biking in the quaint little town of Cascade Locks to picnicking on the shores of the Columbia @ Viento State Park you'll find an entire day of living the dream! This was my first E bike experience. The owners made it a wonderful renting experience. They make sure you are comfortable and answer anything asked. They will rescue you if your unfortunate enough to need help while out and about. They make sure you know where you're going. And if they keep expanding this already 5 star business, hopefully they will be offering guided tours for those more reluctant to venture alone. This is an easy to navigate area with some challenging hills, but with the E assist I made minced meat out of them. The bike are incredible. Very nice quality. Top of the line maintenance. Powerful on the hills. I was so impressed. The ride takes you in and out of forest, along Interstate 84, which is incredible to ride above. You have the opportunity to stop at 5 different waterfalls along the way, one of which you can climb behind is you have the proper foot wear. When you reach the park, there's an easy access the to river. There you can enjoy a picnic, dip in the water and watch the wind surfers up close. All I can say is that this is a great experience and "Bike the Gorge" are the guys you want to make it happen. They are a hidden gem with the perfect location, the best service. We are already planning another trip and bringing our friends. They have gift cards too!! If you love your friends, you'll send them to the Gorge!!
We had a wonderful experience with Bike the Gorge. They went out of their way to help us when we were in a bind on Mother’s Day when my personal e-bike broke on me. So friendly and accommodating!I’ve ridden and owned a few types of electric bikes, and this one was better than any of them. The quality of the bike exceeded my expectation. One of my favorite things was how powerful it was, especially when going up hills. My mom riding with me on her “Electra” brand e-bike bike couldn’t keep up on the hills. The bikes also had some perks I wasn’t expecting; like side mirrors on the handlebars, a nice phone holder on the handle bar so I could use my maps and play music while riding, and a bike lock for when we stopped to hike the waterfalls.The bike ride itself was so incredibly gorgeous. In my opinion the ride had everything you’d want. The paved bike path was nice and wide with turnouts at major view points. We went through beautiful forest areas, by three waterfalls, and along the gorge itself.I rarely write reviews, but my experience with “Bike the Gorge” prompted me to share. Definitely recommending renting e-bikes from them!
Why you’ll love this ride
Experience the best of the Gorge. You’ll see towering firs, sweeping vistas, and up to five spectacular waterfalls all while zipping along on your e-bike.
Cool off in the river. The swimming hole at Viento State Park is the perfect place to take a dip in the river (or soak up the sun) halfway into your ride.
Escape the car traffic. The six-mile segment from Wyeth trailhead to Viento State Park is completely car-free — and even the shared road that you’ll ride from Cascade Locks to Wyeth doesn’t see much car traffic, as most drivers take I-84. This makes it a perfect ride for anyone who is newer to biking and/or doesn’t feel comfortable navigating high-traffic roadways on a bike.
Leave the planning to us. When you book our half-day e-bike rental, we’ll send you a recommended itinerary and detailed directions that cover everything you need to know to have a smooth check-in process and unforgettable ride experience.
Emerald Falls. It’s only a half-mile hike from the Wyeth trailhead to this picturesque waterfall — and if the water levels are low enough and the trail conditions are safe, you can continue another 200 yards to the more secluded Gorton Creek Falls.
Starvation Creek State Park. The 190-foot Starvation Creek Falls is the perfect backdrop for a lunch break — or you can lock up your bike here and take a short hike to Cabin Creek Falls, Hole-in-the-Wall Falls, and Lancaster Falls, which are all less than a mile away.
We recommend a half-day e-bike rental for this route, which will give you plenty of time to ride all the way to Starvation Creek Falls and Viento State Park.
