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Basalt flows of Bingen Gap, Washington.
View of "Coyote Wall" with Locke Lake in the foreground.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Bingen ...
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Bingen and White Salmon, Washington.
View from trail to the Mosier Twin Tunnels, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Early Bingen ...
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In 1892, the community of Bingen was established by Theodor and Phillip Suksdorf and named "Bingen-On-The_Rhine", after a familiar German city. The Bingen Post Office was established in 1896 with Theodor as the first postmaster. Previously Bingen residents had to get their mail from the White Salmon Post Office. The White Salmon Post Office had was established in 1873 and initially was located at Warner's Landing on the Columbia River (later called White Salmon Landing and in the 1890s called Bingen Landing) one and 1/2 miles east of today's community of Bingen. In 1880 the White Salmon Post Office moved up the hill to the C.M. Wolford store. Between 1880 and 1895 Bingen residents had to climb the hill to get their mail. In 1924 the Town of Bingen was incorporated and Theodor served as its first mayor.
Today the community of White Salmon is located on top of the hill and Bingen is at the base. The train station is called "Bingen-White Salmon Station".
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Bingen Gap ...
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The Bingen Gap is a constriction of the Columbia River located on both sides of the Columbia River, and located just upstream of Hood River, Oregon and Bingen, Washington. The gap is a large anticline/syncline feature of Columbia River Basalt. On the Washington State side the "Coyote Wall" is a steep wall on the west side with sloping fields on the east. "Straights Point" is located at Columbia River Mile (RM) 175, where the Coyote Wall meets the Columbia River. Locke Lake is located on the west at the base of Coyote Wall. Washington State Highway 14 divides Locke Lake into two. Upstream another mile and nestled in the backside of the Coyote Wall is Rowland Lake. Downstream of the Bingen Gap is the Washington town of Bingen.
The U.S. Board of Geographic Names made the name "Bingen Gap" official in 1966, and states the Gap is 4 miles long by 1 mile wide.
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Lewis and Clark and the Bingen Gap ...
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Lewis and Clark passed through the Bingen Gap on October 29, 1805, and then again when they return on April 14, 1806.
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"... miles to a high Clift of rocks Std bend ..."
[Clark, October 29, 1805, first draft]
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"... I joined Capt Lewis and the party at 6 miles, at which place the river washed the bottom of high Clifts on the N. Side. ..."
[Clark, April 14, 1806]
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Basalts of Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Bingen Anticline ...
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Coyote Wall, Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from trail to the Mosier Twin Tunnels, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Columbia River Basalts, Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from Interstate 84, Oregon.
Image taken September 18, 2005.
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Coyote Wall, Straights Point, and Locke Lake ...
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On the Washington State side of the Bingen Gap, four miles upstream of Bingen, is the "Coyote Wall", a steep massive basalt cliff of Columbia River Basalt. The west side is a steep, with sloping fields on the east. At the toe of the Coyote Wall is a small cape known as "Straights Point", located at Columbia River Mile (RM) 175, where the Coyote Wall meets the Columbia River. Nestled in on the west side of Coyote Wall and Straights Point is Locke Lake.
A three-mile trail leads from the Columbia River to a 1,800-foot high point on top of Coyote Wall. Further east, overlooking Rowland Lake is the "Rowland Wall", another massive cliff.
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Click image to enlarge
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Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Basalts of Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Basalts of Bingen Gap, Washington.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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Bingen Gap, Washington, with Straights Point and Locke Lake.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken February 26, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 29, 1805, first draft ...
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a Cloudy morning wind Still from th West not hard, we Set out at day light [from their camp on Rocky Island at Crates Point] proceeded on about 5 miles and Came too at a Lodge of a Chief which we made at the upper village at th falls about his house there is Six others ...
N. 55° W. 4 miles
to a Lard. point, pasd a run on Lard Side West 8 miles to Rock Island near the middle of River passed 7 Houses of Indians about 50 men at 1 mile on the Stard
Side. Brakfast Those people fish at the last narrows, &
have but little pounded fish, Som dried and buries
Those people are friendly gave us to eate fish Beries, nuts bread of roots & Drid beries and we Call this the friendly Village [Dougs Beach] ...
at 4 miles further we landed to Smoke a pipe with the people of a village of 11 houses [Lyle, Washington area] we found those people also friendly Their Village is Situated imediately below the mouth of a River [Klickitat River] of 60 yards water which falls in on the Stard. Side and heads in the mountains to the N. & N, E, the Indians inform us that this river is long <but> and full of falls no Salmon pass up it. They also inform that 10 nations lives on this river by hunting and on buries &c. The Countrey begin to be thinly timbered with Pine & low white oake verry rocky and hilley- We purchased at this vilg 4 dogs- at the end of this Course is 3 rocks, in the river and a rock point from the Lard. the middle rock is large and has a number of graves on it we call it the Sepulchar Island [Memaloose Island]. The last River we call Caterack River [Klickitat River] from the number of falls which the Indians inform is on it
The Indians are afraid to hunt or be on th Lard Side of this Columbia river for fear of the Snake Ind. who reside on a fork of this river which falls in above the falls a good Situaion for winter quarters if game can be had is just below Sepulchar rock [Memaloose Island] on the Lard Side, high & pine and oake timber the rocks ruged above, good hunting Countrey back, as it appears from the river Indian village opsd. of 2 Lodgs river 1/2 mile wide at rocks
S. 60° W. 5 miles
to a point of rocks Island in a Lard bend, passed 2
rocks in the river- passed 2 Houses at 1 mile on the Stard
Side and 2 at 4 miles on the Stard. Side Countrey on the
Lard. Side has more timber than common and looks well for
huntg. high and ruged.-
S. 80° W. 6 miles
to 4 Houses in a point of a timbered bottom
on the Lard. Side at a large creek or River 40 yr. [Hood River]
passed a bottom on the Stard Side the distance in which there is 14
Indian houses- The falls mountain covered with Snow is South [Mount Hood]
S. 70° W. 6 miles
to a high Clift of rocks Std bend [Bingen area] passed a large creek at 1 mile on the Stard. Side [White Salmon River] in which the Indians catch fish, a large Sand bar from the Lard. Side for 4 miles [below Hood River], at which
place a small stream of water falls over a rock of 100 feet on
the Lard Side [Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, the location of today's Columbia Gorge Hotel]
passed 4 Indian Houses at 5 miles in a bottom on the Lard Side ...
S. 56° W. 6 miles
to a point of timbr. bottom on the Lard. Side, passd. a
Stard. point at 2 miles Here the mountains are high on
each Side, the high points of those to the Lard. has Snow
Came too at 3 miles on this Course at 3 Houses of flatheads and Encamped on the Stard. Side [near Drano Lake and the Little White Salmon River], a Pond lies back of those people in which we Saw great numbers of the Small Swan ...
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Clark, April 14, 1806 ...
This morning at 7 oClock we were joined by Sgt. Pryor and they three hunters they brought with them 4 deer which drewyer had killed yesterday. we took brackfast and departed at 9 A. M. [from their camp near Dog Mountain] the wind rose and <proceeded on> Continued to blow hard all day but not so violent as to prevent our proceeding. we kept Close allong the N. Shore all day. the river from the rapids [Cascade Rapids] to the Commencement of the narrows [The Dalles] is from ½ to ¾ of a Mile in wedth, and possesses but little Current. the bead is rock except at the enterence of Labiech's river [Hood River] which heads in Mt. Hood [Mount Hood, Oregon] and like the quick Sand River [Sandy River] brings down from thence Vast bodies of Sand the Mountains through which the river passes nearly to Cataract River [Klickitat River] are high broken rocky, particularly Covered with fir and white Cedar, and in maney places very romantic scences. Some handsom Cascades are Seen on either Side tumbling from the Stupendious rocks of the mountains into the river. I observe near the river the long leafed Pine which increas as we assend and Superseeds the fir altogether about the Sepulchre rock [Memaloose Island]. We find the trunks of maney large pine trees Standing erect as they grew, at present in 30 feet water [Submerged Forest]; they are much doated and none of them vegitateing. at the lowest water of the river maney of those trees are in 10 feet water. the Cause I have attempted to account for as I decended. at 1 P M. we arrived at a large village Situated in a narrow <village> bottom on the N. Side [between the White Salmon River and Bingen, Washington] a little above the enterance of Canoe Creek [White Salmon River]. their houses are reather detached, and extend for Several Miles. they are about 20 in number. those people Call themselves Wil-la-cum.
... We halted at this village Dined
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after dinner we proceeded on our voyage. I walked on Shore with Shabono on the N. Side through a handsom bottom [Bingen area]. met Several parties of women and boys in Serch of herbs & roots to Subsist on maney of them had parcels of the Stems of the Sun flower. I joined Capt Lewis and the party at 6 miles, at which place the river washed the bottom of high Clifts on the N. Side [Bingen Gap]. Several Canoes over take us with families moveing up. we passed 3 encampments and came too in the mouth of a Small Creek [Major Creek] on the N. Side imediately below a village and opposit the Sepulchar rock [Memaloose Island]. this village Consists of about 100 fighting men of Several tibres from the plains to the North Collected here waiting for the Salmon. ...
made [blank] miles
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