This looks even more amazing if you’ve ever been across the bridge in its current form.
(Graphics: Port of Cascade Locks)

Existing conditions. Yikes!

A biking and walking path on the Bridge of the Gods took a big step forward last month.

In March, the Port of Cascade Locks and the Pacific Coast Trail Association (in cooperation with the United States Forest Service, Washington Department of Transportation, Friends of the Columbia Gorge, and City of Stevenson, WA) turned in a proposal (PDF) to the Federal Highway Administration requesting $934,000 for a planning study that would lead to the construction of the project.
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One of three options would include a ramp and an elevator.
(Drawings: Port of Cascade Locks)

For over a decade the city of Cascade Locks in the Columbia River Gorge has wanted to rebuild the entrance to their marquee destination: Marine Park. Now the project is moving forward and they want to hear what you think about the options.

Currently, the only entrance to Marine Park (a place that attracts 350,000 annual visitors) is down a narrow road at the far end of the main commercial area. The road makes a sharp right turn under a set of railroad tracks before emerging on the other side. Besides having height restrictions, the underpass is so narrow that there’s no accomodation for people on foot or on bikes. “The current undercrossing’s narrow width is dangerous to pedestrians, strollers, wheelchair users and cyclists trying to enter or exit the park at the same time as vehicles,” wrote the Port of Cascade Locks to the Oregon Department of Transportation in a project grant application. “It has a steep grade, blind 90-degree corner, and shared lanes. The new overcrossing would protect non-vehicle traffic from potential crashes.”
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Quite a backdrop for bike racing.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The River City Bicycles Cyclocross Crusade headed to the Columbia River Gorge for race #3 in the series with the scenic town of Cascade Locks playing host. With the steep gorge cliffs on one side and the mighty Columbia on the other, hundreds of racers enjoyed an excellent day of racing despite dire storm warnings all over the news.

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Stevenson waterfront from the Trail of the Gods.

We’re excited to share a post written for BikePortland from local author Laura Foster. Foster is the woman behind many excellent guidebooks including her latest — Columbia Gorge Getaways. The post below is adapted from that book.
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My bike and my ride to the Gorge – all ready to roll!
(Photos by Kiel Johnson and Kate Laudermilk)

Our Gal by Bike columnist Kate Laudermilk was one of the first people to ride the Columbia Gorge Express — a new transit option with service between Portland and Multnomah Falls.

One of the arguments I made as I desperately tried to convince myself that I needed to buy a new car after parting ways with my partner (and our car) four years ago was that I needed a car to fully experience all of the natural wonders surrounding Portland.

I felt like I was going to be trapped in Portland until the end of my days.

Little did I know that, when you don’t have a car, you get creative. You use the old noggin. I no longer feel trapped in any way.
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The beauty, folly, and challenge of cyclocross was in full display in Cascade Locks on Sunday.
(Photos by Dylan VanWeelden/Pushing Towards Normal)

By all accounts, this weekend’s Cross Crusade event out at Cascade Locks was a huge success. Everyone I’ve talked to about it had rave reviews — not just for the usual racing and fun vibe these events have; but for the venue itself. 
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Public employees, business owners, service providers, tourism officials, and biking advocates all came together for a networking event inside the pavilion at Marine Park in Cascade Locks last nights.
(Photos J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Thirsty riders head into Cascade Locks after a day
on Columbia River Highway State Trail.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

There’s no amount of research about the huge economic benefits of bike tourism that can compare to seeing a bit of it happen before your eyes.

Years in the planning and opening Saturday, the new Thunder Island Brewing Company in Cascade Locks, Ore. (home of the spectacular Bonneville Dam and the Bridge of the Gods) is a Portland-grown project that’s setting out to serve tourists — especially those enjoying the newly reconnected Historic Columbia River Highway on their bikes.
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Some of the proposed trails.
– Download larger map here –

It’s still a drive from Portland, but as far as I’m concerned, any new mountain bike trails in our region are worth celebrating and supporting. It’s with that in mind that I share news of the Cascade Locks International Mountain Bike (CLIMB) Trails System. This project, in the works since 2007, includes a plan for 25 miles of MTB trails that would be developed as a major tourism draw for Hood River County and the city of Cascade Locks. Here’s more from a fact sheet on the project:[Read more…]