Located on a fertile plateau about 30 miles North-East of the Dalles, OR, you’ll find the town of Goldendale. This town is seated near the geographical center of Klickitat County. Goldendale is about 13 miles north of the Columbia River.

The land where Goldendale now occupies was originally used as a grazing land for cattle. A man named Lionel Kimberland filed a soldier’s homestead claim on the land for those who fought in the civil war. In 1871, John Golden purchased the land from Kimberland, and the town was finally platted in 1872. Goldendale was incorporated in 1879 and now holds the title of the largest city in Klickitat County. In 1878, Goldendale became the county seat and has remained the commercial and banking center for the valley. Many settlers of Goldendale were employed at an aluminum plant that was built next to the John Day Dam in 1968. This brought an era of growth and prosperity to the land.

Currently, Goldendale holds a population that averages around 3000 residence. Residential areas are constantly growing and neighborhood improvements are currently in progress. Residents of Goldendale can enjoy warm sunny days with very little chance of rain. Summer temperatures can reach up to 100 degrees, while the winter months can see temperatures below zero, particularly in January. One popular escape from the summer temperatures is the Goldendale Aquatic Center, Located just off of Broadway St. It’s a location designed for learning and just to have fun. They offer Swim lessons for all ages and even pool rentals for special events.

Goldendale High School, Elementary School, and Middle School are just a few of the many schools in the area.

Serving the community for over 50 years, Klickitat Valley Health has grown to address the changing needs of Goldendale. Their team of medical professionals is dedicated to providing quality programs and services ranging from health maintenance to emergency care. Klickitat Valley Hospital is a critical access hospital that serves all of central and eastern Klickitat County.

In 2007, Puget Sound Energy purchased the Goldendale Generating Facility. This facility is known to be one of the most efficient and clean generating facilities in the west. PSE has also recently made a 580 million dollar investment into harnessing wind energy, and the Goldendale location will easily facilitate that need.

Goldendale Golf Club is located at the base of the Simcoe Mountains. Surrounded with breathtaking views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams, the course is 10 miles north of the Columbia River Gorge, just off highway 97 in Goldendale. They are known for providing supreme personal service, along with an atmosphere that is genuine and friendly. Be sure to stop by for an affordable round of golf with the picturesque views of our nature and beauty.

Sam Hill was another early settler of Klickitat County who built a beautiful mansion for his wife Mary on the bluffs overlooking the Columbia River about 14 miles south of Goldendale. That mansion is now Maryhill Museum and it is open to the public usually from March to November and is well worth exploring.

The Klickitat County Historical Society is located at the Presby Mansion in Goldendale, and operates it as a Museum. The Presby Mansion was built in 1902, and the Society has filled its 3 floors with furniture, clothing, utensils, and personal effects from the 1880s to the 1930s. The Museum has a small research library containing county records, photographs, cemetery burial lists, and various publications.

The Goldendale Observatory is an incredible landmark open to the public for simple star-gazing to educational lessons. The large telescope housed in the observatory did not start in Goldendale. In fact, its construction began in 1964 by four students from an amateur astronomy club at Clark College, in Vancouver. Because of the constant cloudy conditions in the Vancouver area, the astronomers looked to Goldendale for the location to place the telescope. They wanted Goldendale to have an observatory, a library, and everything else they would need to be able to teach anyone about astronomy.

Just minutes south of town, is the Eddieville Motorsports Park. People come from all over the area to Race and practice on the six and a quarter mile track. Created from a faint trail in grass this track has become the premier grand prix track in the northwest. Other downhill activities in the area have included the 2006 Speed-boarding Championships at Maryhill. The Maryhill Loops Course is the most technical course on their downhill skateboarding circuit with 22 turns and speeds near 50 miles per hour.

The little Klickitat River runs roughly east to west across the northern portion of the city. The terrain is hilly with an elevation of about 1600 feet at the airport. From the City you can see the Simcoe Mountains which rise in the north to an elevation of 5500 feet. Four mountain tops, Mt. Hood, Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens are visible from certain places in the city.

About three minutes up North Fairgrounds Road, is the Goldendale airport. This airport supports small airplanes and currently houses 4 of them for various operations. For charter and jet service the Dallesport airport is only 25 minutes away.

With expansive farm and timberland and picturesque Mt Adams as a backdrop Goldendale is the Golden Gate to the Evergreen state.