Friends of the Columbia Gorge owns and stewards more than 1,300 acres of land in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in both Oregon and Washington. Explore our preserves below. Preserves listed as private are not open to the public.
Alashík Preserve. Photo by Monique Trevett.
Alashík Preserve
Friends’ newest acquisition, Alashík Preserve is a private 120-acre forested wetland property in Skamania County, WA. Just like our Turtle Haven property, Alashík is home to a population of the endangered northwestern pond turtle.
Heartleaf Bluffs. Photo by Paloma Ayala.
Heartleaf Bluffs
Heartleaf Bluffs, the jewel of Friends’ Share the Wonder campaign, is a private cliffside 105-acre preserve in Klickitat County, WA, featuring massive twin bluffs and beautiful panoramas in the Eastern Gorge.
Wildflowers at Mosier Plateau. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Mosier Plateau
Mosier Plateau is a public, 45-acre clifftop preserve located in Wasco County, OR, with a 3.5-mile trail connecting to the community of Mosier. It is recognized as one of the best wildflower hikes in the Gorge.
Lyle Cherry Orchard. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Lyle Cherry Orchard
Lyle Cherry Orchard is a public, 540-acre preserve located in Klickitat County, WA, with a 6.5-mile trail and bilingual interpretive trail signage.
Turtle Haven. Photo by Vince Ready.
Turtle Haven
Turtle Haven is a private 65-acre preserve located in Skamania County, WA, that is home to the endangered northwestern pond turtle.
Cape Horn Preserve
Cape Horn Preserve, a 47-acre private property in Skamania County, WA, is the site of ongoing restoration efforts. Part of the area will be developed as an accessible recreation site, and the rest will be restored to a mixture of evergreen forest, native meadows, and climate-resilient oak groves.
Mt. Ulka. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Mt. Ulka
Mt. Ulka is a private 45-acre preserve located in Wasco County, OR, that is a key connector in our Gorge Towns to Trails project.
Dancing Rock. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Dancing Rock
Dancing Rock is a private 65-acre preserve located in Klickitat County, WA, featuring stunning geological formations and a kolk pond.
Catherine Creek. Photo by Debbie Asakawa.
Catherine Creek
Catherine Creek is a private four-acre preserve in Klickitat County, WA, that Friends purchased with the intent to restore the land for a connection to the existing universal access trail system.
Carson Cove. Photo by Paloma Ayala.
Carson Cove
Carson Cove is a private 11-acre riverfront preserve located in Skamania County, WA.
Camas Patch. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Camas Patch
Camas Patch, located in Skamania County, WA, is a public nine-acre preserve featuring seasonal fields of camas, a wide variety of lichens and mosses, and sweeping views of the Gorge.
Good’s Woods. Photo from Friends’ archives.
Good’s Woods
Good’s Woods is a 100-acre private preserve in Skamania County, WA, that Friends purchased in 2016 to protect it from logging.
Rowena Oaks. Photo from Friends’ archives.
Rowena Oaks
Rowena Oaks is a 21-acre private preserve located in Wasco County, OR.
Vista View seen from Vista House. Photo by Mike Cooke.
Vista View
Vista View is a 70-acre private preserve located in Skamania County, WA.
Lyle Peak. Photo by Debbie Asakawa.
Lyle Peak
Lyle Peak is a private 25-acre clifftop property above Friends’ Lyle Cherry Orchard Preserve.
Notable Transferred/Sold Preserves
Steigerwald Shores. Photo by Cate Hotchkiss.
Steigerwald Shores
Steigerwald Shores, a 175-acre property that facilitated the largest habitat restoration project in the history of the Columbia Gorge—the Steigerwald Reconnection Project—was sold to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2020.
Cedar Creek Cottonwoods. Photo by Joe Urmos.
Cedar Creek Cottonwoods
Cedar Creek Cottonwoods, an 80-acre preserve in Skamania County, WA, features Cedar Falls and views toward Hamilton Mountain and Aldrich Butte. Sold to the U.S. Forest Service in 2014.
Nancy Russell Overlook. Photo by Mitch Hammontree.
Cape Horn Overlook
Friends purchased then deconstructed a private residence on the rim of Cape Horn to open additional recreation opportunities, including the Nancy Russell Overlook. Sold to the U.S. Forest Service in 2008.
Klickitat Trail Vernier property. Photo from Friends’ archives.
Klickitat Trail Parcel
Purchased and donated to Friends by conservation buyers Dave and Christine Vernier, this 10-acre parcel adjacent to the Klickitat Trail was sold to Washington State Parks in 2010.
Coyote Meadow. Photo by Debbie Asakawa.
Coyote Meadow
This 7.7-acre property is wooded with white oak and has views of the Mosier Plateau and Lyle Peak to the east. Sold to the U.S. Forest Service in 2018.
Upland Oaks. Photo from Friends archives.
Upland Oaks
This lovely, hillside woodland provides 55 acres of oak habitat for migratory birds. Donated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2018 as part of Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
