Dufur is in the Columbia Gorge of Oregon.

Understand

Dufur, a city of 600 people, is a farming community which primarily grows wheat, tree fruit and grapes. Its founders' names are a corruption of the French name "DuFour" (of the oven).

From 1913 to 1928, Dufur was a stop on the Great Southern Railroad, a former 41-mile short line which ran south along Fifteen Mile Creek from The Dalles to Friend. It once had an electric-powered sawmill and, until 1921, large apple orchards. Little remains of the abandoned railway but the former The Dalles depot, moved to a site at the base of Brewery Grade. Friend, Oregon is now a ghost town where little remains but the Friend Store, a one-room schoolhouse, and a cemetery.

Get in

By car

• Dufur is 13 miles (22km) south of The Dalles on US Highway 197. From I-84, exit onto 197 just east of The Dalles.

Get around

It is a small town so most folks walk where ever they go.

See

• Dufur Historical Society / Museum, ☏ +1 541 467-2205. Housed in an authentic log cabin, the museum is home to a collection of historical memorabilia associated with the Dufur community (updated May 2015)

Do

• 1 Deschutes River State Recreation Area, 89601 Biggs Rufus Hwy, Wasco, ☏ +1 541 739-2322, toll-free: +1-800-551-6949. Tree-shaded campsites at the convergence of the Deschutes and Columbia rivers. Hiking, mountain biking, camping, rafting, equestrian trail riding, steelhead and trout fishing. (updated May 2015)
• 2 White River Falls State Park, White River Falls State Park, Maupin, ☏ +1 541-739-2322. (updated May 2017)

Events

• Threshing Bee. second weekend of August. Community wide event to celebrate the harvest. Demonstrations and exhibits give a glimpse into the lives of early pioneers. (updated May 2015)
• Country Christmas. second Saturday of December. Includes a craft fair, lighted tractor parade and old time music. (updated May 2015)
• What the Festival, Dufur Mill Rd. mid-June, during summer solstice. Annual three-day interactive music and arts festival on a 250-acre Oregon ranch surrounded by the Mt. Hood National Forest with full, unobstructed views of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. (updated May 2015)

Buy

• Kramer's Market, 121 NW Main St, ☏ +1 541 467-2455. The local market - beautifully restored to its era. Kramer's is a full service market including a fresh meats and deli counter. (updated May 2015)

Eat

• We3 Coffee and Deli, 576 NE 5th St, ☏ +1 541 467-2330. (updated May 2015)
• Dufur Pastime Saloon & Restaurant, 25 Heimrich St, ☏ +1 541 467-9248. Restaurant, bar and grill, beer tavern and saloon with Internet, jukebox, pool tables, (updated May 2015)

Sleep

• 1 Balch Hotel, 40 South Heimrich St, ☏ +1 503 467-2277, info@balchhotel.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. $89.00 - $189.00.  
• Dufur RV Park, 10 Northeast Aikin St, ☏ +1 541-467-2449. 

Go next

• The Dalles