Overview

Little Baja is a kitesurfing spot located on the Columbia River in the Columbia River Gorge, near Hood River, Oregon. This spot is part of the legendary Gorge wind corridor, world-renowned for its powerful and consistent thermal winds. The name "Little Baja" comes from the laid-back, sunny atmosphere reminiscent of Baja California. The spot offers direct river access with ideal conditions for kitesurfing thanks to thermal winds channeled through the gorge.

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Spot forecast for Little Baja / Columbia River

Sunrise 07:28 · Sunset 18:10

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< 7 kn7–12 kn13–20 kn21–30 kn31–40 kn41+ kn Gusts Your minimum: 7 kn

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Little Baja / Columbia River: when to go?

Rideable days and hours computed for a minimum wind of 7 knots · log in to set your own (foil, twin-tip…)

Season · peak

32h

in May · 7 rideable days

The season runs from April to July, peaking in May: 5 rideable days a month and 32 hours of usable wind, at 25 °C. The low point is February, at 0.5 days.

Rideable days per month

Wind strength when it is rideable

7-12 knots · 58%13-20 knots · 42%

When the spot works, wind sits mostly between 7 and 12 knots — 58% of rideable hours. Big-kite territory. The coldest month is January, at 4 °C. The wettest month is December, with 133 mm.

Monthly averages: Little Baja / Columbia River

Monthly averages — Little Baja / Columbia River — averaged over 2 years of records — Weather data by Open-Meteo.com — How it is calculated
Month	Rideable days	Usable wind	Temperature	Rain
January	1.0	5 h	4 °C	92 mm
February	0.5	3 h	8 °C	48 mm
March	0.5	9 h	14 °C	36 mm
April	4.5	21 h	18 °C	14 mm
May	7.0	32 h	22 °C	16 mm
June	4.5	22 h	27 °C	3 mm
July	4.5	25 h	32 °C	0 mm
August	1.5	12 h	31 °C	2 mm
September	0.5	6 h	28 °C	4 mm
October	2.0	10 h	18 °C	16 mm
November	0.5	2 h	11 °C	43 mm
December	1.0	7 h	8 °C	133 mm

Photo gallery of Little Baja / Columbia River

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Technical details of Little Baja / Columbia River spot

The spot works with winds from SW, W, WNW.

Rideable Not rideable

Spot opening date · Required level

Spot opening date: Open all year round
Required level: Intermediate

On the water

Fresh water from the Columbia River, cool to cold (12-18°C in summer). 3/2 to 4/3 wetsuit recommended depending on season. The river current is constant at 3-5 km/h westward, which affects navigation. Water surface with short chop generated by thermal winds blowing against the current. Thermal winds generally blow from the west at 20-35 knots from May to September, with gusts that can exceed 40 knots.

Hazards

Constant river current that can sweep riders downstream in case of trouble. Barges and commercial traffic on the Columbia River: stay alert and visible. Thermal winds can ramp up very quickly from 15 to 40+ knots in less than an hour. Gusts can be violent, especially at the beginning and end of thermal cycles. Cold water that can cause hypothermia. Respect regulated navigation zones.

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The Dalles Municipal Airport8.2 km

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Webcams near Little Baja / Columbia River

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Nearby spots

All spots: Oregon

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Little Baja / Columbia River kitesurf, wingfoil and windsurf spot