Clarkston WA Washington

574 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

American Cruise Lines (572 Cruises)

American Harmony

240 Passengers
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American Pride

2700 tons
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American Song

241 Passengers
2700 tons
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Port of Clarkston, Washington | Cruise Port Guide

Nearly 750 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean, river cruise ships moor peacefully at the foot of golden hills. Clarkston, in Washington State, forms with its sister city Lewiston, in Idaho, the inland port farthest from the northwest American coast. Ships reach it by ascending the Columbia River then the Snake River, at the end of navigation punctuated by locks. Here the waterway ends; the land of canyons begins.

The Dock at the Gateway to the Canyons

Clarkston's port welcomes river units at its Gateway Dock, nearly 180 metres long, supplemented by a second berth at 14th Street for larger ships. The arranged shore lends itself to walking, with a path running along the Snake and connecting the twin cities by bridges. The scenery has the air of a tamed Far West—green water, brown cliffs, immense sky.

The Continent's Deepest Gorge

The port-call's great attraction lies upstream. Hells Canyon, carved by the Snake between Idaho and Oregon, is North America's deepest gorge, exceeding even the Grand Canyon in vertical relief. You explore it by jet boat, an outing of about three hours that ascends the rapids between vertiginous walls. The pilots read the river like a book, cut the waves, stop before indigenous pictographs and tell of isolated homesteads that once clung to the canyon's folds. Departures happen notably from Hells Gate State Park, on Idaho's shore.

Following Lewis and Clark

The region owes its double name to explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who passed through here in 1805 during their crossing of the continent. Their route crossed the territory of the Nez Perce nation, whose history and culture are told at Nez Perce National Historical Park, a short distance from Lewiston. Among the objects, the stories and the unchanged landscapes, you grasp the human depth of a valley that was never simply a navigation corridor.

ActivityStarting Point
Jet Boat in the Great GorgeClarkston Dock or neighbouring Hells Gate State Park
Riverside Walk of the Twin CitiesDirectly from the dock
Nez Perce National Historical ParkCoach excursion from the port-call

Vineyards and Valley Delights

The Lewis-Clark Valley has built a quiet reputation in viticulture, carried by a handful of family estates. Some excursions combine tasting and panorama, while the independent will find cafés and small tables in Lewiston's centre, on the other side of the bridge. Summer heat, often marked, invites finishing the day with a drink in the shade. Evenings remain mild on the terraces that look over the river.

A Port-Call Between Two Worlds

What strikes you at Clarkston is the contrast. Morning finds you racing at full speed between rock walls; afternoon, you stroll on a peaceful bank where herons fish without hurry. The valley accumulates geological immensity and the simplicity of small Western towns, without seeking to impress.

When the ship casts off to descend the Snake, the hills file past like waves of dry wheat. You leave the end of the waterway with the feeling of having touched a turning point, where America's rivers meet America's great spaces. The canyon itself continues to carve its bed, indifferent to the ships' schedules.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Port of Clarkston's Gateway dock, nearly 180 metres long, with a second landing at 14th Street for larger vessels. This is the end of the navigable waterway.
Because it lies nearly 750 kilometres from the Pacific Ocean. Ships reach it by coming up the Columbia River and then the Snake, through a series of locks.
The Hells Canyon jet boat trip, about three hours, is the signature outing. Otherwise the riverside path along the Snake links Clarkston to its twin Lewiston, in Idaho, by bridges.
The deepest gorge in North America, carved by the Snake between Idaho and Oregon — deeper in relief than the Grand Canyon. It's explored by jet boat, with stops at Indigenous pictographs.
About three hours. The pilots run the rapids between vertiginous walls and tell the story of the isolated homesteads that once clung to the canyon's folds. Departures include Hells Gate State Park on the Idaho side.
In honour of explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, who passed here in 1805 on their crossing of the continent. Clarkston is on the Washington side, Lewiston on the Idaho side.
Yes, at Nez Perce National Historical Park, a short distance from Lewiston. The explorers' route crossed this nation's territory, and its history and culture are told through objects and narrative.
Yes. The Lewis-Clark Valley has built a quiet winemaking reputation on a handful of family estates. Some excursions combine a tasting with the view.
US dollars and English. Cards work in shops and wineries; keep cash for tips, expected in particular for jet boat guides.
Late spring through fall. Summer heat in the valley is often pronounced: bring a hat and water for the canyon trip, and enjoy the milder evening terraces.