The upper Cascades of the Columbia River, 2 miles west of Stevenson, was the site of a portage where pioneers reassembled their wagons after rafting down the river from The Dalles, Oregon.
After steamboats began to ply the upper river, the town served as the transfer point from steamboat to portage for all traffic between Portland and the Inland Empire.
Today, Stevenson is the county seat of Skamania County. Just a few miles from town, is the award-winning Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, which depicts the area's natural and cultural history.