While hikes like Dog Mountain offer wildflower showstoppers, no place in the Columbia Gorge offers the wildflower diversity and duration of Catherine Creek. Botanists flock here for months in the spring to enjoy the steady waves of wildflower blooms. Ironically, wildflowers are profuse at Catherine Creek because of the poor, shallow soil that does not allow grasses to come in and dominate the flowers. Prior to public ownership, the property was known as the Lauterbach Ranch where cattle heavily grazed the area. This was one of the Forest Service’s early purchases following the passage of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
Click HERE for more information.
