Things to do in Bingen + White Salmon, WA (plus restaurants + hotels)

The Columbia River Gorge, on the border between Washington and Oregon, offers dramatic scenery. For good reason: The gorge was formed at the end of the last Ice Age about 14,000 years ago when glaciers chiseled through the landscape. Bingen, WA and White Salmon, WA are two small towns along the Gorge that serve as ideal jumping-off points to explore this stunning area.

Both Bingen and White Salmon, WA were originally blue collar towns. They’ve both added hotels, shops and restaurants that cater to visitors, especially for nearby Portland, Oregon.

Both towns are also terrific launchpads to see the Gorgeo’s natural beauty. Hiking and white river rafting are only minutes away.

So if you’re looking to visit Bingen, WA ad White Salmon, WA, this post has all the details you need: the best restaurants, hotels, hikes and other things to do in Bingen and White Salmon, Washington.

Things to do in Bingen and White Salmon, WA

Bingen and White Salmon lie just a few minutes for each other along Highway 14 in Washington, directly across from the Hood River Bridge.

Both towns are small—population 2,200 for White Salmon and just 700 in Bingen—so you can cover most of the things to do in the White Salmon, WA area pretty efficiently.

Here are my favorite activities.

Wine tasting in the Columbia River Gorge

Ok, so wine tasting in the Columbia River Gorge is not in Bingen or White Salmon themselves. But you can find excellent—and scenic—wineries within a short drive.

My favorite is Syncline Winery, just a 10 minute drive east from Bingen, WA. In my opinion, it’s the prettiest place to taste wine in the fall in the area. The turning trees, campfires and, of course, stellar wine make Syncline my top recommendation of where to go wine tasting in Washington in the Columbia River Gorge.

(Don’t miss tasting their Subduction Red. Most restaurants in White Salmon serve it, and for good reason: It’s a crowd pleaser.)

Antique shopping in Bingen, WA

I love a good antique store, and they always seem to be the best in small towns. Antiques & Oddities, the shop in Bingen, WA, is no exception. It’s large and well organized, with entire sections dedicated to dishware, vintage cowboy boots and Asian artifacts.

I snagged a few finds at the antique store in Bingen for what I felt was a reasonable price. I’ll definitely return to this antique store the next time I’m in the Gorge.

Maryhill Museum of Art in the Gorge

A half-hour drive east from Bingen, Maryhill Museum of Art perches on the ridge of the Gorge. This beautiful art museum not only offers an unparalleled view of the Columbia River, it also exhibits impressive art and Native American artifacts.

Inside the museum, a mansion more than 100 years old, you’ll see European and North American fine art, decorative arts and miniatures of high fashion. My favorite section highlights Native American baskets, collected from tribes around the Pacific Northwest.

Cross your fingers for good weather when you visit the Maryhill Museum because you’ll definitely want to see its outdoor sculpture garden. Keep an eye out for the resident peacocks wandering among the Rodins.

Know that the Maryhill Museum of Art closes between November 16 – March 14.

Hikes near White Salmon, WA

The Columbia River Gorge has only this problem with hikes: With so many options, it can be hard to choose one!

The Oregon side of the Gorge has most of the waterfalls, so if that’s what you’re going for, simply cross the Columbia. Bridal Veil Falls, Multnomah Falls and Latourell Falls are all terrific, nearby waterfall hikes.

On the Washington side, you’ll get expansive views of the Columbia River. The area around White Salmon and Bingen is also more characterized by sage and wildflowers rather than the evergreen forests more common on the Oregon side.

These are my two favorite hikes on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge near Bingen and White Salmon:

Catherine Creek Hike, Washington

The Catherine Creek hike leads you up rolling hills overlooking the Columbia River. It’s a fairly gradual uphill climb, nothing too strenuous. (For context, I’ve hiked this trail with pregnant friends and women wearing babies in carriers.)

My favorite part of the Catherine Creek hike (besides its awesome name, obvi) is seeing Mt. Hood from a fresh perspective. I consider Mt. Hood my home mountain, and we see it every day from our house. I rarely see its back, though, and cherish my favorite mountain from every angle.

Catherine Creek also blooms with wildflowers every spring. I’ve never hiked it at this time of year. If you do, know it’ll be busy: hikers from Portland and beyond come to see the short-lived monkey-flower, redstem storksbill, honeysuckle and other wildflowers.

Beacon Rock hike, Washington

If you’re looking for a hike on your way back to Portland from White Salmon, WA, Beacon Rock is a great bet. This short but rewarding hike is about halfway between White Salmon and Portland on the Washington side of the Columbia.

Beacon Rock is a hunk of cooled magma that Lewis & Clark named on their expedition in the early 1800s. Crisscrossed by switchbacks, the mile-long trail takes you to its summit, where you can see the Columbia stretch to the east and west.

I wouldn’t bring your children to hike Beacon Rock, though. The drop offs along the trail are simply too steep and dangerous. The potential of an accident is too great to risk bringing my kids, ages 4 and 6.

To hike Beacon Rock, you’ll need a Discover Pass ($10 for one day).

Restaurants in White Salmon and Bingen, Washington

One of the good things about exploring small towns is you’re not overwhelmed by options. And luckily, those options of restaurants in White Salmon and Bingen are delicious.

For lunch, head to North Shore in White Salmon, WA. This local cafe serves healthy, filling bowls, sandwiches, salads and omelets as well as coffee, tea and pastries. North Shore also has a large table for groups as well as games and books for children.

For a drink and appetizers, try out Feast Market & Delicatessen in White Salmon. This Northwest-inspired restaurant and deli welcomes diners stopping in to share a few small plates, and the service is excellent.

Feast also has a deli counter, which serves salads and other packable food. That, plus its small shop selling cheese, wine and other goodies, make it this area’s go-to spot for stocking up on picnic supplies.

For a casual dinner in White Salmon, hit up Everybody’s Brewing. This brew pub serves its own beer as well as a full menu. Everybody’s Brewing is terrific for straightforward pub fare and they were more than happy to accommodate our group’s modifications for dietary restrictions. Plus, the brewery’s huge booths can fit large groups.

For a more upscale dinner in White Salmon, Henni’s Kitchen & Bar is the most recommended restaurant. Seven friends and I ate dinner here on a recent trip to White Salmon, WA, and the food was excellent. Vegetarians will find only a few menu options, though.

While we devoured pretty much every single morsel of food at Henni’s, I was surprised by several hiccups at the nicest restaurant in White Salmon. At 6:30 on a Saturday night, they had entirely run out of bread and steak, which featured heavily on the menu and in the specials. Although the night didn’t seem particularly busy, we waited an hour and a half for our food. And my meal—a salad—arrived 20 minutes after everyone else’s. I was pretty disappointed, but maybe Henni’s was just having an off night.

Finally, if you’re really, really hungry, you can’t beat the portions of Ayutlense in Bingen, WA. This family-owned Mexican restaurant in Bingen serves delicious dishes in sizes that could probably feed half the town. Unless you’re sharing (or starving), order off the chico combinations menu. I ordered tortilla soup with a side of beans and rice and still took half my meal home.

Hotels in Bingen, WA

If you’re staying in this area of the Columbia River Gorge, I so strongly recommend the Society Hotel in Bingen, WA. This beautiful hotel renovated an old schoolhouse and retained much of its century-old charm. For example, the hotel kept the school’s gym intact, adding Pendleton pillows for the bleachers and games like foosball and cornhole for guests.

The Society Hotel in Bingen’s most famous feature is its sauna and spa. With an outdoor hot tub, a warm tub, a cold pool for polar bear dunking and a dry sauna, you have plenty of choices for luxuriating. I loved that I could also order wine, sparkling water and snacks in the beautiful bath house.

This hotel in Bingen is also unconventional in its room options. You can rent one of the cabins that surround the bath house. Or in the main building, you can stay in rooms named for classes (Science, French, etc.) or in high-end, hostel-like bunks. These three-high bunks are nicer than any hostel where I’ve stayed, but at rates starting at $37 a night, including access to the bath house. It’s hard to beat that price and I’m already planning my return stay at the Society Hotel, probably next month!

Exploring White Salmon and Bingen, WA

By now, you can tell that Bingen and White Salmon, WA are small but mighty when it comes to things to do. With the nearby hikes, antique shopping, wine tasting and art museum, you’ll stay plenty busy.

And once you’re done exploring, all the restaurants in White Salmon will warm and fill your belly.

Are you convinced? I’m betting you are. In that case, I may just see you there because I can’t wait to go back.