A Haunted Stay At The Columbia Gorge Hotel

Hi gang! In a twist, I’m actually blogging this while I stay at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Ghostly club members (Anna, Danny, Amy and Ianna) have also come along for the spooky fun. Our investigation goal is to determine what’s urban legend and what’s ghostly fact at the hotel. Get the scoop on our stay after the jump.

Day 1 At The (Haunted) Columbia Gorge Hotel

I had originally planned to show the gratuitously gorgeous drive down to the hotel, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Namely, a deluge and fog. You couldn’t see anything from the car. Other than 4 hydroplaning cars.

Anyway, it’s about a 3-hour drive from Olympia, Washington along I-5 and I-84, if you’re planning a trip.

Checking in happened fast. I had booked through Hotels.com and prepaid my visit, so not much more to do than drop a credit card for incidentals and sign in.

My room was on the 3rd floor. You can can take the elevator (manually operated!) or stairs. Gotta love that black-and-white carpet.

The hotel looks just like it did back in the 1920s. There have been modifications, and I’ll let you know about those in later section on debunking some myths about the hotel.

Anyway, Amy got a room that overlooks the Columbia River and Wah Gwin Gwin Falls.

Later that night, the Ghostly Club settled in for a night of ghost hunting. Maybe it’s legend tripping? So many of the online stories have bent the truth quite a bit.

Alyssa, a manager at the hotel, shared some stories … and busted a few myths about the hotel. You can catch them in this recap video.

Ghost Stories from the Columbia Gorge Hotel (Plus Some Debunking)

Ghostly Activity & Debunks Reported By Staff

Let’s just say we felt learned after our interview with Alyssa. Some things we do know:

Debunking Some Legends & Myths

Room 330 doesn’t exist anymore: It became Room 318 in the current hotel.

There was never a pool in the hotel: The little girl who drowned did so in a (former) trout pond over the white bridge.

There’s only one White Lady … and she looks like a normal person with a big, floppy hat. She died in Room 318 when the hotel was a senior care home.

Only Room 318 has the barricading phenomena.

No one has ever jumped from the tower. If they did, they’d land on the roof (a 5-foot drop), which would sting a little, but it wouldn’t kill you.

People on the second floor report hearing the stomping and banging above them, not people on the third floor.

What Staff Says

There’s only one White Lady … and she looks like a normal person with a big, floppy hat. She died in Room 318 when the hotel was a senior care home.

It’s the ballroom (in the basement level) that has the most activity.

The aforementioned lady stays on the third floor.

No one has seen a doorman or a male ghost with a top hat at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. This story likely originates from the Hood River Hotel, which does have doorman ghost lore.

There are likely more than a few spirits active here: they like to play pranks on the staff. Most of them happen on the first floor in the dining room and kitchen.

No spirits actually roam the grounds around the hotel.

… and something does knock on the walls at night as Anna and Ianna tells us about right in the next section.

A note about the tower: The attic and tower are under renovation, so you can’t access the floor. The staff have placed a locked gate in the stairwell. You can’t get up there, and it’s monitored to prevent people from accessing the floor. Don’t be stupid and try to sneak in.

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Day 2 At The Very Haunted Columbia Gorge Hotel

So, I’ll make a separate video for the actual ghost hunt. Right now, let’s catch up with Anna and Ianna, who had some experiences (outside the ghost hunt) to report in a confessional.

Personal Ghostly Experiences (Confessionals)

Besides those eerie knocks, me and the crew had phones that wouldn’t charge or mysteriously drained overnight. Pesky spirits wanting a little bit of electromagnetic juice, eh?

Take A Walk Around The Hotel

Before we went out for a day of exploration, I took a walk around the hotel so you can see how beautiful the gorge and Wah Gwin Gwin Falls are. Isn’t it weird to see a waterfall so close to the hotel?

Known Deaths At Wah Gwin Gwin Falls

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Haunted Road Trip Agenda For Day 2

After coffee and confessions, we went to Egg River Café for a tasty breakfast. I had a Polish Sausage Hash with eggs and wheat toast. And I was so happy the restaurant had orange marmalade to smear all over the bread.

Afterwards, I got back to editing this travelogue while Anna, Danny and Ianna went to the Washington Stonehenge.

A Trip To Cathedral Ridge Winery

Amy and I had a break between editing and supernatural sleuthing, so we went to a local winery to check out the big bold reds at Cathedral Ridge Winery. It’s about a couple of miles from the hotel.

We had a lovely time at Cathedral Ridge. Our tasting included 6 reds or whites ($40), and ended with a tasting of a 2013 Cabernet. My favorite was the Cabernet Franc (it’s so spicy!), while Amy dug the Zinfandel. We also got a selection of gourmet chocolates (included with the tasting) and a tasting plate ($28).

After our flights, we got a tour of the winery and where the wines are aged. White oak barrels abound!

Washington’s Stonehenge

Danny, Anna and Ianna took a tour of Washington’s Stonehenge (who knew?!). Spiders were already out and building creepy webs.

It’s about a 50-minute drive east along I-84. Cross Hwy 97 to Maryhill, and you’re practically there.

Walking The Stairs Throughout The Hotel

I didn’t forget to complete the hotel circuit, meaning I filmed walking every floor (and using the old manual elevator). The hotel was remodeled in 2022, and it greatly changed the carpeting, paint, art and lighting. I’d say it’s now inspired by the 1920s Art Deco-era. Not a replica of the original interiors.

Now, it’s time to go ghost hunting!

Ghost Hunting Evidence

Clara Shows Her Feelings For Her Favorite Human

On the first night of investigations, we used Clara, a haunted doll, as a trigger object. We tested if the little girl spirit would engage with her. Not much happened, so I returned Clara to Amy, her caregiver. And then we got the surprise in the video clip!

I’ll continue to add more evidence as I edit the investigations.

Check back for more!

Note: We (me and the Ghostly club) used our own money to pay for our rooms and travel, so there’s no expectation of positive commentary for the Columbia Gorge Hotel.