Dog Friendly Trip Along Columbia River: A Guide for Vancouver and Portland

Travelling with our dog is not always the easiest, especially in the damp Pacific Northwest. Thankfully, there are many dog owners sharing their experiences online, and restaurants have turned outdoor dining into a celebrated cornerstone of our local culture. In this post, I have compiled a list of the best spots across the Vancouver-Portland metro area to tour and to eat.

Dog Friendly Vancouver and Portland Attractions

Vancouver Waterfront

• Paved trail. Dog and family-friendly.
• Columbia River Renaissance Trail – 5 mile
• Lots of restaurants to choose from (Salt & Straw here too!)

Vancouver Neighborhood Walk

Neighborhoods such as Uptown and Hough have many charming Victorian houses. A lot of homeowners take pride in their gardens as well. Very enjoyable just walking in the neighborhoods.

Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge (SE Portland)

• Smaller parking lot
• Large area to walk around. Dogs need to be on leash and on the trail.
• Check on the educational event calendar especially if you are bringing kids.

Mt Tabor Park (Portland)

• Lot and street parking
• Dog off-leash area available

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

There are so many view points, trails, waterfalls and attractions. Either choose a destination or take it easy and stop where you find appealing.

Multnomah Falls

• Parking is limited! If weekends or the weather is good, head over earlier.
• If you can’t find parking to take the trail, you can still have a glimpse of it driving on Interstate 84.

Bridge of the Gods

• Spans the Columbia River between Cascade Locks, OR and North Bonneville, WA
• $3 to pass
• Trails
• Visit Brigham Seafood Market for lunch

Columbia Gorge Museum

• Nice place to learn about Columbia Gorge history
• Outdoor area with historic trains, fire engines, mines etc to look at. Flat and easy to walk around.

Vancouver and Portland Dog Friendly Restaurants

If you are travelling with children, double check if the dog-friendly restaurants are also family-friendly. We have noticed that some places do not serve minors (not included in the following recommendations.)

Restaurants in Portland are very dog-friendly. Most of them seem to accomodate dogs as long as they have outdoor seating areas. The tricky thing will be finding parking.

Bleu Door Bakery (Vancouver, WA)

• Breakfast/brunch.
• Street parking.
• Decent pastries and basic brunch menu.
• Outdoor seating available on the sidewalk.

Staff were very friendly. They don’t have A LOT OF items but a little bit of everything. We were pleasantly surprised with the quality of their pastries.

Cecilia’s (Vancouver, WA)

• Brunch.
• Mall parking.
• Extensive outdoor seating area with fireplace.

Brewed Cafe & Pub (Vancouver, WA)

• Street Parking.
• Limited outdoor seating.
• Small but decent breakfast and sandwich menu.

Screen Door (Portland)

• Street parking.
• Outdoor seating with heat lamps (tab required for outdoor seating.)
• Southern food.

The food was not bad, and it was nice to have a regular breakfast/brunch menu with a tweak. You do sit pretty close to other people in the outdoor seating area, but it’s cozy enough. If you dog gets excited with passerbys, you will want to make sure you have a good hold because there is a lot of foot traffic on the sidewalk.

Trap Door Brewing (Vancouver, WA)

• Street parking.
• Covered outdoor seating.
• Order food from food trucks (Thai and Mexican when we visited) or nearby business.

Laid-back, like a micro food truck pod. So very relaxing for a family with an anxious dog. You easily walk in to bring a pint out, order some food from the food trucks right there, while your dog and kid wait at the outdoor seating area. Mixed crowd with a great sense of community.

Tap Union Freehouse (Vancouver, WA)

• Basic sandwich/small plates.
• Street parking.
• Outdoor seating. Dogs are also allowed inside.

Thirsty Sasquatch & Hungry Sasquatch (Vancouver, WA)

• Pizza and pinball.
• Street parking.
• Outdoor seating. Dogs are also allowed inside.

We only had pizza to take out from there. Not cheap but it was decent enough.

Brigham Seafood Market (Cascade Locks, OR)

• Lot and street parking.
• Outdoor seating with view.

Food was not bad. A lot of deep fried food but not too greasy, and thank goodness with different breadings. Smoked salmon was yummy. Staff were very nice too. It could get pretty windy outside.

The Rambler (Portland)

• Street parking.
• Front and back patio.

Tin Shed Garden Cafe (Portland)

• Street parking.
• Outdoor seating in patio with fireplace.
• Dog menu!

Dog and Family Friendly Columbia Gorge Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive in Vancouver, WA in the afternoon. Spend the late afternoon along the waterfront. Have a bite at one of the restaurants along the Columbia River Renaissance Trail or some ice cream at Salt & Straw.

Have dinner at Trap Door Brewing and take a stroll in the uptown neighborhood. There are some attractive Victorian houses.

Day 2

Enjoy the pastries at Bleu Door Bakery. Head out to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Choose your trail accodingly. Have lunch at Brigham Seafood Market. Stop by Camas and walk around their historic district.

Day 3

Have brunch at Screen Door in Portland. Walk around the Pearl District and take your doggie to Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge for a walk. If you are lucky, they might have some educational events going on there. Enjoy dinner at The Rambler.

Day 4

Grab In-N-Out Burger in Ridgefield on the way home!

Looking for a dog-friendly and family-friendly day trip in Western WA? See my post for easy trails, walkable towns and restaurant recommendations!