Waterfall Tour
Drive 40 miles West of Hood River on I-84 to exit 22 (NE Corbett Hill Rd). At the top of the hill turn left onto the Historic Columbia River Highway. 4 miles later you will reach Vista House at Crown Point with its spectacular views.
From Vista House, keep driving East, stopping at as many waterfalls you want to visit. Many are just short walks away from parking, others longer excursions. The most famous and touristed, Multnomah Falls is the one where hiking to the top is not recommended due to the large crowds and lack of a view.
Accessible by Car
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Latourell Falls - The first major waterfall after Vista House, Latourell Falls cascades 224 feet and can be accessed easily from a short trail that leads to a viewpoint, as well as slightly longer treks to the base and top of the waterfall.
Bridal Veil Falls - Keep driving east on the Historic Columbia River Highway to find Bridal Veil Falls, a beautiful waterfall that drops 118 feet in two tiers. A short third-mile pathway leads to the falls.
Wahkeena Falls - Just down the historic highway from Multnomah Falls, the misty Wahkeena Falls can be found a short walk up a paved trail from a small parking lot. Hikers can continue up along the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop trail.
Multnomah Falls - The tallest waterfall and most popular natural destination in Oregon, Multnomah Falls is truly a magnificent sight. Water from Multnomah Creek drops a whopping 635 feet in two tiers, crossing beneath the iconic Benson Bridge on its way.
Horsetail Falls - Considered to be "the epitome of the horsetail form" by the World Waterfall Database, Oregon's own Horsetail Falls is a must-see on any Columbia River Gorge trip, found along the Historic Columbia River Highway just east of the Oneonta Tunnel.
Starvation Creek Falls - Located on the far eastern side of the Gorge, Starvation Creek Falls is one of the most accessible waterfalls in the area, and is ironically a great spot to stop for lunch (though the "starvation" name came from a very real pioneer crisis). It's well known as a rest stop, but the spectacular 227-foot waterfall is well worth it on its own.
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Waterfall Hikes
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Fairy Falls - Fairy Falls is not so much a magnificent waterfall so much as it is a very pretty waterfall. It stands at only 20 feet tall, cascading off the side of Wahkeena Canyon upstream from Wahkeena Falls. With its thin ribbons of water and multi-step fall, it's a long-exposure photographer's dream.
Wiesendanger Falls - Located just downstream from the mighty Ecola Falls, Wiesendanger Falls is a much more accessible and equally beautiful waterfall, popular among day hikers coming from Multnomah Falls, about 1.4 miles up the Larch Mountain Trail.
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Triple Falls - The Oneonta Creek splits into a trio of 64-foot waterfalls at Triple Falls, creating a scenic display for passers by. You can find it about 1.6 miles along the Oneonta Trail.
Elowah Falls - Another of the Gorge's most underrated waterfalls, Elowah Fallsstands tall at 213 feet, plunging McCord Creek into a beautiful amphitheater only .7 miles from the parking lot at the John B. Yeon Trailhead.
Upper McCord Creek Falls - You can find the lovely twin plunges of Upper McCord Creek Falls just above Elowah Falls, along another trail from the John B. Yeon Trailhead. The trail there is not for the skittish - a pipe railing is all that keeps you from falling from the tall cliffs at the side of the narrow path, as overhanging rock looms treacherously above.
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Wahclella Falls - It might not be one of the tallest, but Wahclella Falls is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, dumping 300 cubic feet of water per second into a large pool along Tanner Creek. A 2-mile round-trip hikeleads to the base.
Metlako Falls - While not directly accessible, the serene Metlako Falls is notable as the first waterfall on the immensely popular Eagle Creek Trail. Signage is scant, but a side trail leads to a viewpoint of the falls about 1.4 miles in.
Punch Bowl Falls - One of the most popular waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest, Punch Bowl Falls cuts through a narrow channel of rock, dumping powerfully into a large pool below. The Eagle Creek Trail leads to a viewpoint at the top, but hikers can also get to the base when the creek is low via the rocky beach above Lower Punch Bowl Falls.
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Tunnel Falls - The centerpiece of the Eagle Creek Trail, the spectacular 165-foot-tall Tunnel Falls is most notable for the tunnel blasted out of the rock behind the waterfall, made so the trail could circumvent the feature without building an expensive bridge.
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Twister Falls - One of the most unique waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, Twister Falls is named so for the apparent twisting of the water as it cascades 130 feet beside the Eagle Creek Trail.
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Ruckel Creek Falls - Beautiful Ruckel Creek Falls is quite possibly the most underrated waterfall in the Gorge, due in part to its secluded location and the proximity of the popular Eagle Creek Trail. You can find it about a half-mile east of the Eagle Creek Fish Hatchery, a short walk off the paved Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.
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Dry Creek Falls - The scenic Dry Creek Falls is notable as a stop off the Pacific Crest Trail, as a colorful autumn destination and as the former municipal water supply for the city of Cascade Locks - hence the name. Find it 2.2 miles from the Bridge of the Gods Trailhead.