“Woah, look!” Bryan said suddenly.
I glanced up to see the huge outline of Mount Hood looming over the road in front of us. As a Portlander, I often see views of Mount Hood, but driving through the Hood River Valley is something else entirely. The mountain is no longer a distant peak—when you’re this close, it’s enormous. The mountain rises from the quaint farmland of the valley below it, painting a scene out of a storybook.
“There’s also one behind us!” I exclaimed, catching sight of a second snow-capped mountain in the rearview mirror. This second one–Mount Adams–is blocked from view in Portland, but not so in the Hood River Valley. You’ll see really great views of Mount Adams from here.
Oregon’s Hood River Valley is a top travel destination for its idyllic countryside, framed by these magnificent mountain views. The valley teems with vineyards, fruit farms, and lavender farms, some of them open to the public. On this July day, we were there for a top Oregon lavender festival: the Lavender Daze festival at Hood River Lavender Farms.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of visiting Hood River Lavender Farms during the Lavender Daze festival, and tips for visiting the lavender farm yourself. For a video preview of this fabulous summer day trip, check out our Lavender Daze video below.
Our video of an Oregon lavender festival in the Hood River Valley
Getting to the Hood River Valley: The Scenic Route
If you’re traveling from Portland, Hood River Lavender Farms is about an hour and 20 minutes’ drive east through the Columbia River Gorge. This route is one of Oregon’s most scenic drives, passing the sheer cliffs and roadside waterfalls of the gorge before entering the Hood River Valley countryside.
The fastest route is to take I-84, but for an even more scenic drive, I’d recommend the Historic Columbia River Highway. This was the original road through the Columbia River Gorge before I-84 was built.
The two-lane road is a bit narrow in places as it winds along the cliffs above the gorge. It goes right by Vista House, where you can stop to experience one of the best Columbia River Gorge views. Then it begins passing the gorge’s famed waterfalls: Latourell Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls, and Horsetail Falls, to name the ones most accessible from the road.
To travel through the “Waterfall Corridor” between Bridal Veil Falls and Horsetail Falls, you’ll need to purchase a Waterfall Corridor permit here if you go during peak season. Peak season in 2022 is May 24 – September 5, and the permits are required between 9 am and 6 pm. Check the website for the latest details in the year you go. At $2, the permits aren’t expensive, but they are limited and likely to be sold out if you don’t buy yours online in advance.
The Historic Columbia River Highway rejoins I-84 after passing through the Waterfall Corridor. Once you reach the Hood River Valley and transition to smaller roads, look out for the fantastic views of Mount Hood and Mount Adams.
Experience an Oregon Lavender Festival
At Hood River Lavender Farms, we set out a picnic blanket in the shade of a wide lawn. A couple of dogs snoozed in the grass. Kids chased each other across the lawn. A spirited game of cornhole was underway nearby. The smell of grass mingled with the faint scent of lavender floating over from the lavender fields beyond. Visitors meandered through the lavender fields with shears, gathering You-Pick lavender bunches to take home.
As we set out our board game pieces on the picnic blanket and settled in with a tray of vegetables & hummus, I felt a deep sense of peace. While we were there to see the lavender, a day at Hood River Lavender Farms is about more than the flowers themselves. It was a perfect July afternoon in the 70s. The gentle buzz of activity at the farm was a calming departure from the city.
Hood River Lavender Farms opens to the public in the summer, welcoming visitors to explore the lavender fields, picnic, and visit the craft vendors. There’s You-Pick lavender from late June through September for those who would like to cut their own fresh flowers. The lavender farm shares a parking lot with a winery, so wine is also available on site.
Visitors are allowed to bring their own food, and there’s also some food available on site for purchase. I had been picturing food carts for some reason, but when we visited, the on-site food options were limited to snack trays or kettle corn. We enjoyed a tray of vegetables with hummus and chips & salsa, but next time we would also bring more food from home and have a full meal.
Don’t miss the farm’s resident goats and llamas when you visit! They’re at the back, behind the snack stand and restrooms.
There are great views of Mount Adams right from the farm. In this shot, you can see the mountain behind the rows of grapes in the vineyard. Of course, a cloud had drifted across it by the time I took photos! The top of Mount Hood is also visible from the farm, but it’s not a very clear view.
Even Better Mount Hood Views
There are great Mount Hood views from a nearby lavender farm called Lavender Valley, which is about 15 minutes’ drive down the road. Unfortunately Lavender Valley is closed as of this writing (July 2022), so we didn’t go all the way to the farm. Instead we navigated from Hood River Lavender Farms toward Lavender Valley on Google Maps, and enjoyed the striking Mount Hood views from the country roads nearby.
More Flower Tourism in Oregon
If you enjoy lavender tourism, you may also enjoy these other flower farms and gardens in Oregon:
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks for joining us for an Oregon lavender festival in the Hood River Valley! For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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