The Klickitat River is a tributary of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

, nearly long, in south-central

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

in the United States. It drains a rugged

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

area on the eastern side of the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...

northeast of

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. In 1986, of the river were designated Wild and Scenic from the confluence with Wheeler Creek, near the town of Pitt, to the confluence with the Columbia River.Wild and Scenic Klickitat River
- National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

Course

The Klickitat River rises in the high Cascades near Gilbert Peak, in northwestern Yakima County, in a remote corner of the Yakama Indian Reservation. It flows southeast, then generally south across the Lincoln Plateau. It enters northern

Klickitat County Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe and contains part of the Y ...

, and

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the Channel (geography), channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erosion, erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank (cut bank, cut bank or river cl ...

s south through steep canyons. It enters the Columbia from the north at Lyle, approximately north-northwest of

The Dalles, Oregon The Dalles ( ;) formally the City of the Dalles and also called Dalles City, is an inland port, the county seat of and the largest city in Wasco County, Oregon, Wasco County, Oregon, United States. The population was 16,010 at the 2020 United ...

. State Route 142 follows the lower of the river. The river is bridged by State Route 14 at its mouth.

Recreation

The Klickitat Trail follows the river on an abandoned railroad grade from near Goldendale, Washington to the

just west of The Dalles, Oregon, nearly .

References

External links

Wild and Scenic Klickitat River
- National Wild and Scenic Rivers System {{authority control Rivers of Washington (state) Columbia River Gorge Tributaries of the Columbia River Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Washington Natural Areas Program Rivers of Klickitat County, Washington Rivers of Yakima County, Washington Protected areas of Yakima County, Washington Mount Adams (Washington)

Course

Recreation

See also

References

External links