Mount Hood Railroad — Attraction in Hood River

If you’re looking for the perfect blend of natural beauty, small-town charm, and adventure, Hood River, Oregon is an absolute must-visit. Whether you’re into outdoor activities, incredible food, or just a peaceful getaway, this place has everything you could want.

First and foremost, Hood River is breathtaking. Nestled in the Columbia River Gorge, the views are next level. Picture towering cliffs, lush green forests, and the Columbia River stretching out for miles—it’s the kind of scenery that makes you want to stop and just take it all in. And if you’re lucky enough to catch a sunset over the river? Unreal. Mount Hood looms in the distance, adding that postcard-perfect backdrop to the town. Whether you’re standing on the waterfront or driving through the surrounding countryside, you’re constantly surrounded by some of the most stunning landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.

If you love the outdoors, Hood River is heaven on Earth. The area is famous for wind sports, and watching (or joining!) the kiteboarders and windsurfers on the Columbia River is incredible. The wind conditions here are perfect for it, and even if you’re not into extreme sports, just sitting by the water and watching the colorful kites dance across the sky is mesmerizing. For hikers and bikers, there’s an endless amount of trails to explore. Whether you want a challenging trek with stunning views or a more relaxed walk through lush forests and waterfalls, Hood River has it all. The Eagle Creek Trail, Dog Mountain, and Lost Lake Loop are just a few of the amazing hikes nearby. And if you’re into mountain biking, Post Canyon is a dream come true. In the winter, Hood River is also a gateway to Mount Hood’s ski resorts, making it a perfect year-round destination. One day you could be hitting the slopes, and the next you could be sipping craft beer by the river.

For a small town, Hood River has some of the best food and drink spots around. The local breweries are top-tier—Full Sail Brewing and pFriem are just two of the many options if you’re into craft beer. If cider is more your thing, Hood River is known for it! There are some incredible cideries that use local apples and pears to make refreshing, flavorful drinks. Speaking of local produce, the fruit orchards here are famous. If you’re visiting in the summer or fall, stopping at a local farm stand for fresh-picked cherries, apples, or pears is a must.

The restaurant scene is fantastic. Whether you’re in the mood for a cozy café, an upscale dinner with a view, or an incredible pizza spot (seriously, we had an amazing margarita and sausage pizza here), you’ll find something great. There’s just a warm, welcoming vibe in all the restaurants and coffee shops—it’s the kind of town where everyone seems happy to be there.

One of the best things about Hood River is that it has that quaint, small-town charm while also being full of energy and creativity. The downtown area is packed with cool little shops, art galleries, and local businesses. Whether you’re looking for handcrafted goods, outdoor gear, or just a cozy bookstore to browse, you’ll find something special. The people here are also incredibly friendly. There’s this relaxed, down-to-earth vibe that makes you feel welcome whether you’re a local or just passing through. We even met a guy with a wild, crazy hat who was super fun to hang out with—one of those random moments that makes a trip unforgettable.

Hood River is a place that stays with you. It’s beautiful, full of adventure, packed with great food and drink, and has a community that makes you feel at home. Whether you’re visiting for a weekend or planning a longer stay, there’s something here for everyone. Five stars all the way—can’t wait...

We did the railbikes on a Monday, after school was back in session. Not all of the bikes were taken for this tour, but about 3/4 were.

They give you a little bag with a water bottle each and a package of chocolate caramel sea salt almonds. If you aren't hungry enough to eat them right then (hot day), they will melt. We were not hungry, having just had a big breakfast a couple hours before. I ate some of them and they were delicious.

Our guide, Brittany, was very friendly, fun to be with, and informative. She asked us questions on the stops and the first person to answer correctly would be tossed a little bag of treats. I am sorry I didn't remember all the names of the three fellows who did all the rail car turning. They were hardworking!

These bikes have a motor assist, which you can use at will. I pedaled most of the time because I wanted to. I had affixed my fitbit to my ankle for this activity! :) The seats were reasonably comfortable. My friend was the one who manned the controls for the motor assist and she had no issues.

There is a bin in front of you, but it is not reachable while you are biking. Only on your stops. Drink holders on the seats would be nice, but then, that could be a chance for people to drop them, too. They do say that on every tour someone drops something, and it is ok to let them know to stop so it can be retrieved, but no one dropped anything on ours.

The scenery is gorgeous. I took lots of pictures. We had a lot of fun on the trip. It was mostly shady, which was good, since it was hot out. We didn't feel overheated at any time on the trip, since it was shaded. There are two places that you get off the bikes and they use the turntable. One place is before you go uphill. The other is at the end of the line before turning around to go back.

Personally, the stop at the fruit company and winery was boring to me. It was too long of a stop. There isn't that much to see at the Fruit Company. I was done there in about 5 minutes of looking at high priced merchandise, and I did see it all. And I don't drink wine, so I was not interested in that, either.

The trip was advertised as 2.4 hours, and I assumed that meant about 2 hours of actual biking, but it really wasn't. With the 40 minute stop at the Fruit company, we were still back to the station in two hours. So, to me, the biking part was too short.

I would have bought a souvenir tee shirt in the station, but when we got back, no one went back into the station and...

I don't recommend this. For nearly $100 per person, you'd expect a quality experience. From the beginning it seemed off, they ask you to arrive an hour early for a pre boarding thing and it's literally the ticket person making a small announcement that 95% of the people couldn't see or hear because of the line.

The staff were friendly but obviously undertrained. Seemed very unenthusiastic and one of them just lingered asking the same canned questions as every other staff member. For some reason they seemed understaffed? During the dancing scene only two staff were dancing with the hot chocolate and one of them seemed to forget the dance routine 30 seconds in and just left. The homeless person was the only person in actual character but then they stuck a low quality mic to him and he really looked nothing like the character in the movie.

The train ride itself was the most disappointing thing. If you told me we were in a train car not moving, in a dark garage the whole time I would've believed you. There was absolutely ZERO scenery and you could see nothing outside the windows at the 415 train. There was the part where the train stopped and the staff were like "look outside it's the Caribou blocking the train!" We all looked around confused as we saw literally nothing but darkness. And then they had us chant to move them but again, we had no idea what was going on. The music playing on the speakers were low quality like out of a broken radio. The only light you see are at Santa's house and it was decorated less than my neighbors yard. The train car itself was extremely warm and stuffy. Two staff members also acknowledged that and when I asked for water because my 4 year was getting thirsty, which I didn't think I'd need to carry in such a short ride, they said literally, "it's only for staff members". For nearly $100 per person, and they can't provide a cup or bottle of water??? Not to mention some lingering BO smell in the train car itself.

Overall, for the money we paid, this was one of the worst experiences I could've paid. My 4 year also said how it wasn't worth it. I had people ask me how it was so they could try it next year and I'm going to recommend they skip this and try the Oregon Heritage location instead. This was unbelievably sad. None of the other guests seemed super...