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Columbia Gorge Regional Airport sits on the Washington side of the Columbia River near Dallesport, two nautical miles northeast of The Dalles, Oregon, right at the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It is a non-towered general aviation field with two paved runways, an ILS approach, and a long history stretching back to the 1920s as Case Field. For sim pilots it offers a scenic gorge-side approach with straightforward VFR access and predictable traffic patterns.
Columbia Gorge Regional Airport, also known as The Dalles Municipal Airport, is a public-use general aviation field in Klickitat County, Washington, located near the small community of Dallesport and just across the Columbia River from The Dalles, Oregon. Despite its Washington location, it has been owned by the city of The Dalles since the 1940s and has been jointly operated with Klickitat County since 2002. The airport lies adjacent to the Columbia River near the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, making it an attractive destination for pilots wanting to explore the gorge by air.
The airport sits at the border of Washington and Oregon, immediately alongside the Columbia River, near the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. It is a non-towered field; overlying and surrounding air traffic services in the area are provided by Seattle Center.
The field has two physical runways, both hard-surfaced and lit. Runway 13/31 is the longer, with 13 at 4,883 feet and 31 at 5,088 feet. Runway 07/25 is the shorter pairing, with 07 at 4,195 feet and 25 at 4,436 feet; runway 25 is equipped with an ILS approach. Field elevation is 223 feet.
Weather is available on the ASOS at 135.175 MHz. Enroute and approach services are provided by Seattle Center, reachable on 119.65 MHz or via the remote radio outlet on 122.65 MHz. The airport's common traffic advisory frequency and unicom is 123 MHz. An ILS approach is available for runway 25.
The airport lies directly alongside the Columbia River, a prominent and unmistakable visual feature for pilots transiting or approaching along the Columbia River Gorge. The city of The Dalles, Oregon, sits just two nautical miles to the southwest across the river, providing a further clear reference for orientation.
The airport began life as a grass strip known as Case Field, named in memory of Walter E. Case, a local airmail pilot killed in flight. During the Great Depression the city was granted $12,000 by the Works Progress Administration for airport improvements, though this was rescinded in 1935 once it emerged the city only leased the site. The field was relocated slightly and rebuilt with cement and paved surfaces in 1943. It subsequently passed to city ownership as military surplus, and in 2002 Klickitat County joined the city of The Dalles in a joint operating agreement that continues to govern the airport today. Commercial air service was briefly provided by United Airlines, flying to Portland and Boise between 1953 and 1955.
The airport covers roughly 997 acres and, in the year to January 2019, handled about 16,282 aircraft operations, an average of 45 per day, split between general aviation, air taxi and military traffic. At that time 67 aircraft were based there, the great majority single-engine types alongside a small number of multi-engine aircraft, helicopters and a glider. Current fuel prices and approach plate information are published by the airport operator on its own website.
