Hood River Fruit Loop

Visit over 30 fruit and flower farms, in the foothills of Mt Hood in Oregon.

The Hood River Fruit Loop is a one hour drive from Portland, starting near the popular tourist town of Hood River.

Hood River has a fabulous selection of hotels and restaurants, and a lovely recreational area, beach and playground along the riverfront with two great restaurants; pFriem Family Brewers and Solstice Wood Fire Pizza. 

5 best things about Hood River Fruit Loop

1. The Hood River Fruit Loop passes dozens of picturesque farms along bucolic country roads, against the magnificent backdrop of snowcapped Mt Hood (see loop map).

2. Visitors are welcome to U-Pick from spectacular fields of fruit and flowers.

3. The flowers are usually in bloom from May until early October, while the best time for fruit picking is July through October. 

4. The Gorge White House is amongst the best of the farms!

5. There are other great options along the Hood River Fruit Loop, including the Hood River Lavender Farms, Mt Hood Organic Farms, and Kiyokawa Family Orchards. 

The Gorge White House is a big highlight along the Hood River Fruit Loop!

One of the most popular stops along the Hood River Fruit Loop is the Gorge White House along Highway 35. 

This historic farmhouse is a Dutch Colonial Revival building constructed in 1908, that has has a gift shop and wine tastings.  Lush gardens surround the farmhouse, with plenty of patio seating to soak it all in. 

In summer, visitors can venture out into the U-Pick orchards to select cherries, strawberries, and blueberries, and wander through flower fields. The surrounding fields are simply exquisite and popular for photography enthusiasts. Check hours.

Visitors sit on the front porch of the Gorge White House for wine tastings, under the shade of the farm's 100 year old oak trees.

The Gorge White House is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 2007, and is beautifully preserved inside.  It's owned by a fourth generation local farming family.

Explore stunning gardens around the Gorge White House.

The gardens surrounding the Gorge White House are simply spectacular.

The best seat in the house is on the front porch, and there's a lot of competition for these seats.

Stop for a wine tasting inside the historic interior of the Gorge White House.

Step inside the White House for an incredible selection of wines, from 41 different wineries in the Columbia River Gorge.  Try the Gorge White House's signature Heritage Pear Wine, made from bosc pears grown at its orchards.  

The walls are filled with new art exhibitions each month.  The Gorge White House is also popular for "Sip and Sign" events for book authors.

There are some fabulous wine choices, like the Hood River Vineyard Marionberry wine, made from Oregon's famous fruit.

Load up on produce at the Old Farm Shop, or stop for lunch.

The Old Farm Shop next to the Gorge White House, also has a tasting room, with an emphasis on beer and hard cider flights.  You can also purchase flowers, jams, jellies, sauces, dried fruit, and local fresh produce inside.  

A food cart is open certain days of the week, for yummy burgers, pizza, salads and sandwiches for lunch and early dinner.  Always check ahead for food cart hours, because it might be closed the day you plan on visiting.

U-pick glorious fields of flowers and fruit.

Visitors can head out into the U-Pick fields with buckets and clippers in the fresh country air, and pull together stunning bouquets on the patio.  The fields are bursting with an array of flowers, like daffodils, lavender, dahlias, sunflowers, irises, snapdragons and so many more varieties.  The Hood River Fruit Loop is an incredible way to spend an afternoon.

There are distant views of Mt Hood, from the Gorge White House, and other farms along the Hood River Fruit Loop.  The Cascade Range is full of rich, volcanic soil, perfect for fruit and flower growing.

U-Pick flowers are charged by the stem, with prices starting at roughly 50c per stem, upwards of a few dollars.

Apple tree orchards are common along the Hood River Fruit Loop.  The early pioneering families in this area focused on apple and pear growing.

Best things to do near the Hood River Fruit Loop.

1. Visit charming Hood River township.  Hood River township is just minutes from most of the U-Pick farms.  Hood River has a fabulous waterfront park on the river with a modern playground, beach and two great restaurants across the road; pFriem Family Brewers and Solstice Wood Fire Pizza.  It also has a lovely shopping street a few blocks back from the river with boutiques, hotels and restaurants.  

2. See waterfalls along the Historic Columbia Gorge Highway.  The 19-mile Historic Columbia River Highway starts at Troutdale and ends at Dodson, winding through lush forest and past magnificent waterfalls like Multnomah Falls.  Note that a Timed Ticket Reservation might be necessary to visit Multnomah Falls in warmer months, so check ahead. There's also a new ticket system from late May through early September, to drive along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

3. Check out the excellent Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. Further east is the township of The Dalles with the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.  This excellent museum has fun exhibits including a replica of a frontier town, and raptor presentations in the lobby. 

4. Visit a hilltop art museum and winery. Continue past The Dalles to the delightful Maryhill Winery and Maryhill Museum of Art.  Both have magnificent views of the Columbia River from a blufftop.