Portage Route Trail

The Portage Route Trail is a unique walk along the Columbia River immediately below the McNary dam site.The highlight here is the old railroad tunnel the lies along the path. The hike follows a gravel route of a former railroad bed, passing through the tunnel before continuing along the exposed path along the river's northern bank. Ultimately, the path dead ends at the property boundary of the dam. It's possible to see the wide and immense infrastructure of the dam reaching from the foreground across the wide river here, though the bare hill where the trail ends is by itself slightly less than exciting. Those simply looking to hike an out and back through the tunnel and back to the trailhead can cover this in just about 1 mile round trip distance. Hikers should come prepared with a flashlight and expect exposure to the sun and wind along the river channel. Aside from the tunnel, there are really no other amenities along the path. This primitive feeling trail is off the beaten path, but an interesting place to stretch your legs and explore the landscape a bit if you have the time.