You’ve probably driven past it. Most people do. If you’re heading east from Portland on I-84, you see the trees start to thin out, the air gets noticeably drier, and suddenly the mossy greens of the Columbia River Gorge give way to golden, sun-scorched basalt. That’s when you hit The Dalles. For a lot of travelers, it’s just a spot to grab a cheap tank of gas or a quick burger before pushing on toward Boise or the Blue Mountains. But honestly? That’s a mistake.
The Dalles is weird in the best way possible. It’s a town that exists because of a geological bottleneck. Long before there were highways or Google data centers, this was the place where the river got "pinched." The French fur traders called it les dalles—the flagstones—referring to the flat, narrow rocks that turned the mighty Columbia into a churning, dangerous mess of rapids. It was the end of the Oregon Trail for many, the place where pioneers had to decide if they were going to risk their lives on a raft or pay a fortune to take the Barlow Road over the mountain.
It's got grit. You feel it in the wind.
The Geography of The Dalles Changes Everything
The first thing you notice is the light. Because The Dalles sits in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, it gets about 300 days of sunshine a year. It’s basically the desert’s doorstep. While Portland is drowning in a misty gray drizzle, people in The Dalles are usually wearing sunglasses.
This isn't just about tanning, though. The specific geography—the way the basalt cliffs trap heat and the river provides a constant, cooling draft—created a microclimate that is world-famous for one thing: cherries. If you’ve ever eaten a Bing cherry, there is a very high statistical probability it has roots right here. The Oregon cherry industry was basically birthed in this soil by Seth Lewelling and Henderson Luelling (the spelling change is a whole historical rabbit hole of its own).
✨ Don't miss: Anderson California Explained: Why This Shasta County Hub is More Than a Pit Stop
But the river is the real protagonist. Before the The Dalles Dam was completed in 1957, Celilo Falls sat just upriver. It was one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. For nearly 10,000 years, Indigenous peoples gathered there to fish for salmon. When the dam went into operation, the falls were submerged in a matter of hours. It’s a heavy piece of history that still hangs over the town. You can’t talk about The Dalles without acknowledging that the cheap hydroelectric power that fuels the region today came at a massive cultural cost.
Why Tech Giants Are Moving In
You might notice something strange when you look at the skyline. Nestled among the historic brick buildings and the 19th-century storefronts are massive, windowless warehouses. These are Google’s data centers.
Why here?
It’s simple: water and power. The Dalles Dam provides a staggering amount of relatively cheap electricity. Computers get hot. Really hot. Being right next to a massive river provides the cooling infrastructure needed to keep the internet running. It’s a bizarre juxtaposition. You have one of the oldest towns in Oregon—incorporated in 1857—hosting the bleeding edge of the digital age. This has changed the local economy in ways that are still being debated. It brought jobs, sure, but it also hiked up housing prices, making it a bit of a "mini-Austin" situation on a much smaller, windier scale.
🔗 Read more: Flights to Chicago O'Hare: What Most People Get Wrong
The Oregon Trail Reality Check
Most people think of the Oregon Trail as a singular path. In reality, it was a grueling endurance test that converged at The Dalles. This was the "Decision Point." By the time emigrants reached this bend in the river, they were exhausted, their livestock were dying, and their wagons were falling apart.
If you visit the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, you get a sense of the sheer desperation. They have these diaries on display. People weren't writing about "manifest destiny"—they were writing about how much they missed bread and how dusty their kids were. The Dalles was the last stop before the final leg to Oregon City. It was a boomtown of necessity.
What to Actually Do There (If You Aren't Just Passing Through)
If you decide to pull off the highway, skip the fast food. Head to the downtown core. It’s one of the few places in the state where the "Wild West" feels authentic rather than curated for tourists.
- The Sunshine Mill: This is a massive old flour mill turned into a winery and social space. They’ve kept the old machinery, the towering silos, and the industrial vibe. It’s incredible. You can sip a local Syrah while sitting inside a piece of 100-year-old engineering.
- Fort Dalles Museum: It’s one of the oldest museums in Oregon. The Surgeon's Quarters is the only remaining building from the original 1856 fort. It’s small, kinda creepy in a cool way, and packed with actual artifacts from the pioneer era.
- The Riverfront Trail: It’s a paved path that runs right along the water. It gives you a perspective of the scale of the Columbia that you just don't get from the car. You’ll see kiteboarders, massive barges, and maybe an osprey or two.
The Weather Is No Joke
You have to be prepared for the wind. The "Gorge Effect" is real. Because of the pressure difference between the wet west side and the dry east side, the wind funnels through the canyon like a jet engine. In the summer, it’s a hot, dry blast. In the winter, it can be a biting cold that’ll make you regret every life choice.
💡 You might also like: Something is wrong with my world map: Why the Earth looks so weird on paper
But that wind is also why the area is a world-class destination for windsurfing and wing-foiling. While Hood River gets all the glory (and the crowds), savvy locals often head further east to The Dalles to find bigger swells and more "headroom" on the water.
Is It Worth the Trip?
Honestly, yeah. But don't go looking for a polished, "Disney-fied" version of Oregon. The Dalles is a working town. It’s a place of orchards, electricity, and heavy history. It’s where the high desert meets the river.
It's a place that asks you to slow down. If you give it more than twenty minutes at a gas pump, you’ll start to see the layers. You'll see the volcanic history in the rock layers of the "Strate-graph," the resilience of the people who stayed when the salmon disappeared, and the weird, futuristic hum of the data centers.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Check the Wind Report: If you're planning on hiking or biking, use an app like Windfinder. If it's gusting over 30 mph, maybe stick to the indoor museums.
- Visit in July: This is peak cherry season. Look for roadside stands rather than buying from the grocery store. The "U-Pick" orchards on the hillsides offer the best views of Mt. Hood.
- Explore the Mural Tour: The town has a series of massive outdoor murals depicting local history. It's a free, easy way to see the downtown area on foot.
- Stay at a Local B&B: Instead of the chain hotels by the highway, look for historic stays in the Trevitt's Addition neighborhood. The architecture there is some of the best-preserved Victorian-style housing in the Northwest.
- Eat at Baldwin Saloon: It’s been around since 1876. The mahogany bar is original. The food is legit. It’s the closest you’ll get to feeling like a 19th-century traveler without the dysentery.