Visit Goldendale Reindeer Farm

Ready to explore? Looking for a fun day trip? Reindeer visits aren’t just for December! Don’t miss the Goldendale Reindeer farm, a magical place nestled near the Columbia Gorge in Goldendale, WA.

My two children (ages 11 and 7) and I recently visited Goldendale Reindeer and took part in the 45 minute Reindeer Experience. We began by learning all about the reindeer from antlers to hooves and safety protocols. After the introduction we went out into the field to meet and feed the reindeer with our own feed scoops. Each of the reindeer has its own personality, which made it really fun.

There were eight people in our Reindeer Experience group and everyone had plenty of time to feed and interact with the reindeer. While we were there, Sprinkles the reindeer lost both of her antlers so that made our trip extra special because she was the first in the herd to lose their antlers this season.

After feeding the reindeer we fed the turkeys and met the farm dogs. It was a fun way to top off the experience with lots of turkeys gobbling as we interacted with them. I knew our day trip was a success when each of my children said that they wanted to come back and visit the reindeer again. 

Things to know: Goldendale Reindeer Farm is open for tours year round and also holds seasonal events. During the 2021 holiday season they held the BELIEVE in the Magic of Christmas event with Santa and Mrs. Claus and they recently held a Frozen Adventure. To find out about tours or upcoming events, dates, and cost, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook.  Tickets for the Goldendale Reindeer Experience are $18 per person.

A few suggestions to make the trip extra fun: Our Reindeer Experience started at 3:00 pm so we decided to leave Portland a little early so that we could enjoy the drive and make a few stops along the way. If you drive directly to Goldendale Reindeer from Portland it is about 2 hours via I-84 or 2 hours and 20 minutes if you take WA-14. Here are a few stops along way: 

Via 1-84:  

• Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery: Stop and visit Herman the Sturgeon at the fish hatchery and then go to the visitor’s area near the dam. There are picnic tables available and a park with a play structure.

• Cascade Locks: Visit the Marine Park and have lunch or an ice cream cone from East Wind Drive-In.

• Hood River: Visit the Hood River Waterfront Park and eat at a restaurant nearby.

• The Dalles: Make a stop at the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum.

Via WA-14:

• North Bonneville: Visit the bigfoots at the Discovery Loop and enjoy a picnic lunch.

• Schreiner Farms: Check out the camels, zebras, and buffalos at this free drive through farm.

• Maryhill Museum of Art: Visit the grounds, museum, or check out the view of the Columbia River. 

• Stonehenge Memorial: Full size replica of Stonehenge in England and is a WWI memorial to the servicemen of Klickitat County, Washington who died during the war.

If after visiting the reindeer you would like to experience more animal encounters, please read our article, “Where to See Farm Animals around Portland,” that includes some fun animal encounters in the Portland metro area.