WATERFALLS-1
(Last updated 7/8/03)


In the Columbia River Gorge: the first easily visited waterfall lies about 3 miles east of the Gorge's western end in Guy W. Talbot State Park, on land donated to the state in 1929 - the 249-ft plunge of Latourell Falls (left), on the creek of the same name; about a mile's hike up the creek, the 100-ft double-tiered Upper Latourell Falls (right)
Latourell Upper Latourell

A few miles further east, the lower tiers of the 100-ft falls at Shepperd's Dell (left); another mile east, the 160-ft double-tiered Bridal Veil Falls (left center), one of the few falls below the HCRH; about 1.5 miles east of Bridal Veil, the lower (right center) and upper (right) cascades of 175-ft Coopey Falls - viewed from about 0.6 mile up the Angel's Rest trail
Shepperd's Dell Bridal Veil Lower Coppey Upper Coppey

Further east again, the 242-ft high tiered descent of Wahkeena ("most beautiful") Falls (left); viewed from ca 1/4 mile up the Wahkeena trail, a close-up of the double-tiered upper section of Wahkeena (left center); Wahkeena Creek plunges down the steep Gorge hillside in a seemingly endless series of cascades along the trail (right center); the 30-ft fan of Fairy Falls (right) flows into Wahkeena Creek a little over a mile from, and about 800 ft above, the trailhead
Wahkeena Upper Wahkeena
Wahkeena cascade Fairy Falls

Multnomah Falls (left), the fourth highest in the US, is the most visited attraction in the Gorge and, for that matter, in Oregon - the upper falls, framed in the Benson Bridge, plunges 542 ft, while the lower falls adds another 69 ft. There are four more falls that can be seen along Multnomah Creek if one ascends a few miles up the Larch Mountain trail, which starts to the left of Multnomah Lodge; first encountered is the series of three small block falls called Dutchman (center), which drops a total of 60 ft; further up the trail one encounters the 75 ft lower plunge of Double Falls (right)
Multnomah Falls Dutchman Falls Double Falls

Just beyond, Upper Double (left) plunges another 125 ft; the small 20-ft cascade of Upper Multnomah Falls (right) caps the series on the main creek itself, but a number of unnamed side creeks plunge into it from the cliffs of the canyon further up the trail
Upper Double Falls Upper Multnomah Falls

Further east in the Gorge, the classic shape of 176-ft Horsetail Falls (left); after ascending about 0.4 miles up the Horsetail Creek trail, approaching the 100-ft plunge of Ponytail Falls (left center) - the trail actually passes behind this falls; about a mile up the trail, the horsetail of 75-ft middle Oneonta Falls (right center), viewed from the bridge over Oneonta Gorge; another 3/4 mile up the trail, which now parallels Oneonta Creek, the 135-ft plunge of Triple Falls (really a triplet; right)
Horsetail Falls Ponytail Falls Middle Oneonta Triple Falls

A few miles past Dodson at mid-Gorge, in John B. Yeon State Park, the 125-ft twin plunge of Upper McCord Creek Falls (left), viewed from the upper Elowah trail; further east, about 1/4 mile up Tanner Creek, a no-name falls on a side creek drops 50 ft down a basalt cliff into the creek - the trail passes the face of this falls on a bridge; another 3/4 of a mile up the creek, the trail ends with a view of the 90-ft double-tiered Wahclella Falls (right)
Upper McCord Creek Falls Tanner Creek side falls Wahclella Falls

Across the river on the Washington side of the Gorge in Beacon Rock State Park, about 1 1/4 miles up the Mt. Hamilton trail, a view of the multi-tiered 150-ft Rodney Falls (left), the upper falls on Hardy Creek; a close-up of the topmost segment from Pool of the Winds (center left), and of the lower segment from the trail bridge (center right); the 120-ft horsetail drop of Hardy Falls just downstream (right)
Rodney Falls Cave of the Winds Lower Rodney Falls Hardy Falls

On the Oregon side again, in Eagle Creek Canyon, the 150-ft plunge of Metlako Falls (left) about 1 1/2 miles up the trail; the 30-ft plunge of Punchbowl Falls (center) - one of the most photographed in the Gorge area, appears a bit past the 2 mile mark; and the 80-ft horsetail of Loowit Falls (right) can be seen on the opposite wall of the canyon at about 3 1/4 miles
Metlako Falls Punchbowl Falls Loowit Falls

About 2 miles south of Cascade Locks on the Pacific Crest Trail, an intersecting dirt road leads up the creek to the 70-ft plunge of Dry Creek Falls (left), the water source for the city; about two miles further south on the PCT, the center 40-ft section of a segmented falls is visible above Teapot Springs (left center); the 186-ft horsetail of Starvation Creek Falls can be seen at a State Park (and rest stop) off I-84 a few miles past Cascade Locks in the eastern Gorge (right center, right)
Dry Creek Falls Teapot Springs Falls Starvation Creek Falls Starvation Creek Falls

A few hundred yards west of the Starvation Creek rest stop near the start of the Mt. Defiance trail, the lower portion of the 200-ft horsetail of Cabin Creek Falls (left) is barely visible through the trees; a few hundred yards further west, the 100-ft plunge of Hole-in-the-Wall Falls (center) - this falls is man-made, the result of diverting Warren Creek thru a tunnel blasted into a nearby basalt cliff during construction of the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway; a few hundred yards further west, the trail crosses the lower segment of 250-ft Lancaster Falls (right) on Wonder Creek
Cabin Creek Falls
Hole-in-the-Wall Falls Lancaster Falls

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