Mt. Hood and the Gorge near Gresham
Gresham is on the east side of the Portland area, and two of Oregon's best-known places are a drive away. We did not find an official page that calls Gresham a gateway, so this page just lays out the public facts.
Mt. Hood National Forest
The U.S. Forest Service says Mt. Hood National Forest covers 1.1 million acres and lies about 50 miles east of Portland. Mt. Hood is the tallest mountain in Oregon, and about one-third of the forest is designated wilderness. The forest has four ranger districts (Barlow, Clackamas River, Hood River and Zigzag), about 80 campgrounds, about 20 sno-parks and ski resorts. See the Forest Service page.
The road
Wikipedia says U.S. Route 26, the Mount Hood Highway, runs through Gresham as Powell Boulevard, continues to Sandy and Government Camp, and passes around the south side of Mount Hood on its 96.74-mile route to Hood River. It also says Interstate 84 and U.S. 26 give road access to Gresham.
The Columbia River Gorge
The Forest Service describes the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area as a river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, spanning six counties in Oregon and Washington. It cuts the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountains. See the Scenic Area page for conditions and closures.