<P> The Deschutes River joins the Columbia near The Dalles . Between The Dalles and Portland , the river cuts through the Cascade Range , forming the dramatic Columbia River Gorge . No other rivers except for the Klamath and Pit River completely breaches the Cascades -- the other rivers that flow through the range also originate in or very near the mountains . The headwaters and upper course of the Pit River are on the Modoc Plateau ; downstream the Pit cuts a canyon through the southern reaches of the Cascades . In contrast , the Columbia cuts through the range nearly a thousand miles from its source in the Rocky Mountains . The gorge is known for its strong and steady winds , scenic beauty , and its role as an important transportation link . The river continues west , bending sharply to the north - northwest near Portland and Vancouver , Washington , at the Willamette River confluence . Here the river slows considerably , dropping sediment that might otherwise form a river delta . Near Longview , Washington and the Cowlitz River confluence , the river turns west again . The Columbia empties into the Pacific Ocean just west of Astoria , Oregon , over the Columbia Bar , a shifting sandbar that makes the river 's mouth one of the most hazardous stretches of water to navigate in the world . Because of the danger and the many shipwrecks near the mouth , it acquired a reputation as the `` Graveyard of Ships '' . </P>
<P> The Deschutes River joins the Columbia near The Dalles . Between The Dalles and Portland , the river cuts through the Cascade Range , forming the dramatic Columbia River Gorge . No other rivers except for the Klamath and Pit River completely breaches the Cascades -- the other rivers that flow through the range also originate in or very near the mountains . The headwaters and upper course of the Pit River are on the Modoc Plateau ; downstream the Pit cuts a canyon through the southern reaches of the Cascades . In contrast , the Columbia cuts through the range nearly a thousand miles from its source in the Rocky Mountains . The gorge is known for its strong and steady winds , scenic beauty , and its role as an important transportation link . The river continues west , bending sharply to the north - northwest near Portland and Vancouver , Washington , at the Willamette River confluence . Here the river slows considerably , dropping sediment that might otherwise form a river delta . Near Longview , Washington and the Cowlitz River confluence , the river turns west again . The Columbia empties into the Pacific Ocean just west of Astoria , Oregon , over the Columbia Bar , a shifting sandbar that makes the river 's mouth one of the most hazardous stretches of water to navigate in the world . Because of the danger and the many shipwrecks near the mouth , it acquired a reputation as the `` Graveyard of Ships '' . </P>
city almost at the end of the colombia river crossword
city almost at the end of the colombia river crossword
Astoria
Astoria