Skamania Lodge

The honest review

Skamania Lodge occupies a 175-acre forested site above Stevenson, Washington, on the north bank of the Columbia River Gorge — one of the genuinely spectacular landscapes in the American West that manages to stay underpriced for family travel because it lacks the name recognition of the Cascades or the Oregon coast. The lodge itself was built in 1993 in Pacific Northwest Craftsman style — heavy timber framing, stone fireplaces, Douglas fir paneling — and the architecture fits the landscape rather than fighting it. The main dining room's floor-to-ceiling windows face the Columbia River with the Oregon cliffs on the far bank, and it's the kind of view that stops conversations mid-sentence.

For families, Skamania's activity mix is what distinguishes it from the regional competition. The indoor pool with waterslide handles the rainy-day baseline and the days when kids need a structure break. The zip line course runs through old-growth Douglas fir on the east side of the property and works well for kids 7+ who can meet the weight requirements. The disc golf course (nine holes, free for guests) produces a surprising amount of family entertainment — it requires no equipment skill, it takes 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, and it covers the most scenic terrain on the property. The aerial adventure park has rope courses at multiple height levels, making it appropriate for a wider age range than a single-difficulty zip line.

Horseback riding operates seasonally on the gorge bluffs above the river — the terrain is genuinely dramatic, with the river 400 feet below the trail at certain points. Guided rides are appropriate for beginners and work well for family groups. Kayaking and paddleboard rentals are available through a third-party outfitter at the waterfront below the lodge, and the Columbia River is calm enough on the Washington side for supervised family paddling.

The Kid Zone supervised program runs in summer and during school breaks and provides structured half-day and full-day activities for ages 4–12. This is the operational detail that makes Skamania work as a family resort rather than just a family-friendly hotel — parents can leave kids with capable supervision, have a spa treatment or a long hike, and collect reasonably exhausted children at pickup. The program quality is consistently rated well, which matters because the difference between a good kids' program and a bad one is entirely in the execution.

The Columbia River Gorge itself is the best recreational asset in the Pacific Northwest. Multnomah Falls (the second-highest waterfall in the US) is 25 minutes west on the Oregon side. The Historic Columbia River Highway runs 70+ miles of waterfalls, viewpoints, and hiking trailheads. Stevenson has a small but legitimate downtown with the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, a good local brewery, and access to the Skamania County fairgrounds for summer events. The Wind River valley north of Stevenson gets into serious Cascade terrain within 20 minutes.

The honest limitations: Skamania Lodge's rooms are not large. Standard rooms work for two adults and one child; families of four should book a family suite or cottage. The gorge is wind country — the same physics that make it the windsurfing capital of North America mean afternoons can be cold even in July. The Oregon side of the gorge is more developed for tourism (Multnomah Falls visitor center, the historic highway), requiring a bridge crossing. For families driving from Seattle or Portland, Skamania is a 1–1.5 hour drive and works well as a weekend anchor that accesses two states' worth of gorge attractions.