Hood River, Oregon

Welcome to Hood River, Oregon

The area was inhabited by Native Americans when the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through on October 29, 1805. Here they found a camp site called “Waucoma,� or “place of big trees.� The camp was located near what became known as the Dog River and its confluence with the Columbia River. Later, Mrs. Nathaniel (Mary) Coe, a well-known pioneer resident of the valley, objected to the name Dog River and succeeded in changing the name to Hood River. The name Hood River appears on a map as early as 1856. Originally a part of Wasco County, Hood River County gained its political separation on June 23, 1908, and its boundaries have remained unchanged to the present time.