Steamboat cruises of
The Pacific Northwest of America

Steamboating adventures along the
Columbia and Snake rivers

The waterways of the Pacific Northwest were vital in opening up the West to the pioneers of the youthful United States. The wilderness of dense forests, rugged mountain terrain and fast-flowing river rapids that slice deep canyons through the Cascade Mountains brought real challenges to the pioneers but now provide wonderful holiday experiences for the inquisitive traveller.

Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark reached the Oregon coast near present-day Astoria in 1804, to become the first Americans to cross the interior of the continent. Within forty years thousands of intrepid settlers were streaming in along the Oregon Trail. By the 1860s steam-powered sternwheeler boats provided vital transport along the Columbia and Snake Rivers, and now the attractions of the Golden West can be explored in modern versions of these traditional vessels.

Highlights of the Northwest Rivers

Portland, Oregon
Located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, about 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean, Portland is a commercial and cultural hub. During the heyday of the riverboat, its waterfront was busy with steam-powered sternwheelers. Today, the ‘Rose City’ is still an important port and provides a vibrant downtown with many city parks (including the wonderful Japanese Garden and International Rose Test Garden) and a gleaming cityscape set against the dramatic backdrop of Mount Hood. With microbreweries and wineries springing up and a lively cultural scene, the city is experiencing a sophisticated renaissance.

Astoria
In 1811, America’s first millionaire John Jacob Astor set up a trading post to control the lucrative fur trade on the Columbia River. His company built Fort Astoria and it grew to become the first US town on the Pacific coast. Its heritage includes some fine Victorian houses (being compared to its southern big sister San Francisco) and Astor Column, a 125-foot monument on Coxcomb Hill that affords impressive views across to the mountains and the ocean.

Columbia River Gorge
This impressive gorge winds through 80 miles of the Northwest, cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountains. At times, the canyon is as deep as 4,000 feet and has been home to civilizations for the past 10,000 years. The gorge provides for some spectacular cruising with wide-open vistas, steep-sided canyon passages and the greatest concentration of waterfalls in the United States, including the spectacular Multnomah Falls, cascading 620 feet. The confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers, offer a special thrill: the chance to go jet boating through Hells Canyon, the deepest in North America.

Mount St Helens
Mt St Helens watched over Washington State’s Cascade Mountains with a stately calm for centuries. Then, on May 18, 1980, it erupted with awesome force, leaving a giant smouldering crater and laying waste to 150 square miles of forest. During the past 27 years, nature has been renewing itself, as colonising plants rise out of the ash and new life takes hold in this stark yet beautiful landscape. Now designated a National Monument, numerous viewpoints, interpretation centres and miles of trails have been created to provide the visitor a rare opportunity to see and feel nature’s remarkable power.

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