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Rufus

Hood River / Columbia Gorge · Sherman County · Rufus, Oregon

also known as Columbia River / Rufus, Rufus Landing, Giles French Park

Part of Hood River / Columbia Gorge →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

not for beginnersmedium crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

May–Sep

Months riders and schools name

How windy

16-22 kt

Character: mixed · cross-shore

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

21 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Intermediate to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

medium crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

90 min

International Airport (PDX)

When it fills in

usually strongest in the afternoon when the warm-season thermal pressure gradient intensifies

Nearbystraight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

The Wallno page yet
Maryhillno page yet
Celilono page yet
Doug's Beachno page yet
Lyle Sandbarno page yet
Arlington

The spot

Rufus sits on the Oregon side of the Columbia next to John Day Dam, about 45 miles east of Hood River, and it is where people drive when the rest of the Gorge is already overpowered. The river narrows here, so the westerly gap wind builds bigger and cleaner swell than the sites around Hood River when the current runs with it.

Riding conditions

That current is also why this is not a lesson beach: it is strong to very strong, the shore is round river rock rather than sand, and there is no lifeguard, no patrol boat and nobody watching. Big air, swell riding, foiling and downwind runs are what it is for, and the Hood River Huckfest has run big-air heats here.

Amenities and timing

Amenities are parking, vault toilets, a boat ramp and dock, and free primitive camping in season. That is the whole list. Rufus does not work all the time, so check the Gorge forecast, the nearby sensors and the river flow before you commit to the drive east, and stay home if the wind is canted north.

The wind

locals call it Columbia Gorge westerly thermal/gap wind

Direction

cross-shoreW

Dominant direction

W, with SW, WSW and WNW also listed as rideable

Kite sizes

4567891011

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

5-9m

Character

mixed

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

Typical strength

about 16-22 kt on common summer Gorge/Rufus days; 30+ kt on big Rufus days

Steady on a good day and very gusty on a bad one. A north cant in the wind is the one to avoid: it makes the spot unreliable and, on the wrong day, dangerous.

The broader Gorge is windy most days from May through September, with westerly flow most frequent in the warm season.

Rufus is an east-Gorge option that can work when Hood River is cloudy and weak, worth the drive when other sites are not windy.

No live station exists at the spot itself, so nearby John Day River Bridge and Maryhill observations should be cross-checked with direction and local reports.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

riding season from the spot record · no wind series here is trusted enough to name a season

No month-by-month share of windy days is held for this spot. The months riders and schools name are Jun, Jul, Aug, May, Sep.

About these figuresno series

Nothing usable has been measured or modelled for this place. The months come from what riders say, or from nothing at all.

Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

The water

Type

mixed

Tides

none; river/reservoir level is controlled by Columbia River flow and John Day Dam/Lake Umatilla operations

Temperature

21 °C summer · 6 °C winter

Wetsuit

shorts or shorty are reported in summer; normal/full suit is reported for spring and fall; winter water temperature is unconfirmed

Currents

Strong to very strong, and it is the defining feature of the site rather than a footnote.Swell only builds when the river is running hard; at around 325,000 cfs the combination is expert-only.Spring releases from the dam upstream push the fastest water of the year through from late March into early May, when the current alone can make a session unmanageable.

Conditions

Freshwater river riding: chop and wind swell most days, medium rolling swell on the 30+ knot days, and XL swell when flow and wind line up.

No tide to read, but current, dam flow, barges and ships, rocks and the pebble shoreline all count.

Daily mean water temperature at the John Day Dam navigation lock averaged about 20.5 °C over June-August 2025 and reached 23.1 °C.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

not for beginners here

Intermediate to advanced at best, advanced on most days: fast current, a small rocky beach and hot launches. Beginners belong in the Hood River lesson areas, not here.

The scene

What riders come here for

big airfreerideswell ridingfoil swell ridingdownwindershigh-wind sessions

Advanced Gorge regulars: windsurfers, wingers, foilers and kiters who came for the strong wind, the cleaner east-Gorge swell, the jumps and the downwind runs. Fewer people than the Event Site, further to drive, and nothing laid on when you get there.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

2 schools name this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

7 spots nearby

All 7 spots within 40 km are under Nearby

Rescue

None.

No lifeguard, no patrol boat, no organised rescue, and the parks run to toilets, parking, a ramp and a dock and nothing else.

Park questions go to 541-739-1135; an emergency is a 911 call.

The current is what makes this matter: a swim to shore turns into a long drift downriver, so ride with someone who can follow you and keep a phone in a waterproof pouch.

Launch

Two free river accesses sit either side of Rufus off I-84 exit 109: head north toward the Columbia and turn right for Giles L. French Park, left for Rufus Landing.Both are Army Corps ground with plentiful parking, vault toilets and free primitive camping in season; Giles French adds a boat ramp, a dock and trails.The shore is round river rock and gravel rather than sand, rigging space is open, and the launch bakes in summer.Crossing the railroad tracks outside a legal crossing is an offence.

Hazards riders report 14 reported

Wind

very strong gusty wind
very strong and gusty westerly wind
north-canted wind can make conditions unreliable or dangerous

Crowds and zones

ships, barges, jetskis and other river traffic

Bottom

rocks, stones and round-pebble beach
Round river rock underfoot at the waterline is slippery and hard on bare feet and lines.

Waves and currents

strong to very strong river current
spring high-flow/current days can be expert-only
No lifeguard or rescue boat covers the site; a downwind swim in a strong current has no easy exit and no one is watching.
Late March to early May carries the year's fastest water as the dam upstream releases; current alone can end a session.

Other

wide-open exposed water
few amenities relative to Hood River
wide exposed freshwater with limited immediate services
railroad-track access issues where riders try to cross outside legal access

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: Giles L. French Park and Rufus Landing are Army Corps of Engineers ground listed by Sherman County, free to use, with free primitive camping for up to 7 days from April 1 to October 31 and no camping from November 1 to March 31; first come, first served, no reservations.

Park enquiries go to 541-739-1135.

Crossing the railroad tracks outside a legal crossing is illegal.

No kite-specific permit, zone, hours restriction or seasonal ban was found for Rufus in 2026.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Use Rufus for strong west wind and check the direction first: a north cant makes the spot wrong rather than merely gusty.
Bring the small end of the quiver. This is where people go when everywhere else in the Gorge is already overpowered.
Watch the dam flow and the spring current. Late March to early May pushes the fastest water of the year through, and at very high flow the swell and the current together are expert-only.
Buy food, water and repair supplies in Hood River or The Dalles before you drive out; Rufus has almost nothing.
Free primitive camping runs April 1 to October 31 only, up to 7 days, first come first served, and there is nothing to reserve and nothing open in winter.
Ride with a partner, agree a downwind pick-up point on the road, and keep a phone in a waterproof pouch. Nobody here is coming to get you.

Getting there

Airport

Portland International Airport (PDX)

Route

By car on I-84: take exit 109 at Rufus, head toward the Columbia, then onto the Giles French and Rufus river access road. Reckon on 40-50 minutes east of Hood River and about 1.5 hours from Portland airport.

Transfer

90 min

Cost level

medium

Staying

Free primitive camping at Giles L. French Park and Rufus Landing in season. Rufus, Biggs and The Dalles have simple motels; Hood River has the hotels, vacation rentals and campgrounds, and they fill on busy summer weekends.

No-wind days

Boating, fishing, windsurfing, hiking, wildlife viewing and camping around John Day Dam and Lake Umatilla. Back toward Hood River there is mountain biking, kayaking, whitewater rafting, hiking, SUP, wineries, breweries and summer skiing and snowboarding.

Photos

FAQ

When is the best time to kite Rufus?

May through September, with the wider Columbia Gorge windy most days in that window.

Is it suitable for beginners?

No. Local guidance rates it intermediate/advanced to pro, due to strong current and a rocky, pebble launch; beginners should use Hood River lesson areas instead.

What is the wind like?

Westerly Gorge thermal wind, typically 16-22 knots with 30+ knot days, strongest in the afternoon; north-canted wind should be avoided.

Are there rules or fees?

As of 2026, Giles L. French Park offers free primitive camping up to 7 days from April 1-October 31, with no reservations and no camping November-March.

The bigger pictureEverything about Hood River / Columbia Gorge

Last updated: August 2026