Friends of the Columbia Gorge

A platform to inspire, educate, and protect.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge works to preserve the natural beauty of one of the Pacific Northwest’s most treasured landscapes, home to people, plants, and animals alike. 

Their previous site — built on a proprietary CMS — had grown into a patchwork of outdated structures, disconnected systems, and visual inconsistencies. It wasn’t effectively communicating their impact, and it posed barriers both for users and Friends’ staff.

Friends of the Gorge needed their website to communicate why their work matters and encourage visitors to both protect and enjoy the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

A brand inspired by the Gorge itself.

Drawing from their refreshed brand guidelines, the updated site design is naturalistic and modern. The art direction was inspired by the Gorge landscape — using bold, hand-drawn river graphics and a rich palette of deep greens, auburn, and copper.

The design system itself is component-based, allowing for efficient maintenance, flexibility, and site evolution as the brand and organization grow.

Find a Hike 2.0.

The new Find a Hike tool is a standout feature. Built using custom post types and a Google Maps integration, the system maps hikes based on coordinates — this makes it simple for site editors to add and customize new listings as trail systems evolve.

From the user’s perspective, visitors can explore trails in whatever way suits them — via map or list view — and filter by features like waterfalls, difficulty, and permit requirements. Each hike detail page includes a customized map, trail tips, and helpful guidance. Altogether, the tool makes it easy to hit the trails and offers valuable local insight, whether it’s post-hike recommendations or ways to stay connected with Friends’ work. It’s a powerful feature that can turn one-time visitors into devoted Gorge enthusiasts.

Results

The new website pairs Friends of the Columbia Gorge’s mission with tools that turn curiosity into action. The Find a Hike feature invites discovery, while clear pathways to advocacy, membership, donations, and events keep users meaningfully engaged. And, with high accessibility scores and Spanish-language support, the site ensures that Friends’ important work can be accessed by all.