Qualla: Stevenson

Stevenson: Introduction

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit User:Cacophony, CC BY 2.5. Beacon Rock rises 848 feet straight up from the Columbia River, its volcanic bulk so distinctive that Lewis and Clark noted it in their journals - the explorers recognized it as a signal that they had nearly reached tidewater, the Pacific not far beyond. The town of Stevenson sits nearby, county seat of Skamania County and a gateway to the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. This is where the Bridge of the Gods crosses to Cascade Locks on the Oregon shore, where Highway 14 winds through scenery that rivals the more famous Historic Columbia River Highway on the opposite bank, where hikers and hot springs seekers find a quieter alternative to the tourist crowds across the water.

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Image: User:Cacophony | CC BY 2.5

Stevenson: The Rock

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Dcoetzee, Public domain. Beacon Rock is the core of an ancient volcano, the softer outer rock eroded away over millennia to leave this basalt monolith standing alone beside the river. A trail built by Henry Biddle in 1916 - 52 switchbacks with handrails bolted to the cliff - climbs to the summit, offerin...

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Image: Dcoetzee | Public domain

Stevenson: The Bridge

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Kingofthedead, CC BY-SA 4.0. The Bridge of the Gods crosses the Columbia at the spot where, according to Klickitat legend, a natural rock bridge once connected the shores before it collapsed. The current bridge is steel and tolled, a 1926 structure that serves as one of the few Columbia crossings between Por...

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Image: Kingofthedead | CC BY-SA 4.0

Stevenson: The Washington Shore

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Dcoetzee, Public domain. Highway 14 follows the Columbia's north bank through the Gorge, a route less traveled than Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway but no less scenic. The road runs closer to river level in places, the basalt cliffs rising directly above, the views across to Oregon's waterfalls ...

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Image: Dcoetzee | Public domain

Stevenson: Gorge Gateway

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0. Stevenson serves as the practical center of Skamania County, its services concentrated along Highway 14 where the road passes through town. The population is small - under 2,000 - but the county seat functions provide services for the surrounding rural area. The Columbia Gorge In...

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Image: Another Believer | CC BY-SA 4.0