The Columbia Gorge is a haven for
waterfall lovers. There are 122 recognized falls in this area of 1700
square miles. A federal law that went into effect in 1986 designated
most of this region, more than 225,000 acres, as the Columbia River
Gorge National Scenic Area.
In this my eleventh hike, I started at
Latourell Falls. Closest to Portland of the Columbia Gorge's great
waterfalls, Lower Latourell Falls cascades 249 feet along Latourell
Creek within Guy Talbot State Park, the land for which was donated to
the state of Oregon in 1929 by Mr. and Mrs. Guy Talbot. The waterfall
was named in August 1887, after Joseph Latourell, a prominent local
settler. Most people are happy to stay at the bottom and only
photograph Lower Latourell Falls, but not me. I took the 2.3 mile
easy loop trail that climbed to the top of the falls and continued to
a secluded, 100 foot upper falls. The route travels through bigleaf
maple woods lush with greenery. The trail continues through a scenic
creek canyon.
Sheppards Dell Falls offers a roadside
view of a pair of falls is available to looking upstream from the
bridge crossing at Sheppards Dell State Park. The lower tier is of
the horsetail form and drops 50 to 60 feet. The 35 to 50 foot plunge
of the upper portion is not as clearly visible. Sheppard's Dell isn't
as much a hike, as a leg stretcher. There are honestly a half dozen
more challenging spots within a couple of miles, but Sheppards Dell
deserves mention for it's stonework, if nothing else. The entire 3/10
of a mile is cut from the cliffs and protected by a stone wall
created by the masons working on the nearby Columbia highway. Young
Creek flows down a series of falls into a deep canyon. When looking
at the historic bridge, consider that, despite being built in 1914,
it can handle the droves of summertime RVs in the present day!
I then visited Bridal Veil Falls. This
was a very easy 1.3 mile ramble that descends into a shady creek
canyon and to a grand view of Bridal Veil Falls. Along the trail to
the falls, you can look across the Columbia River to distant views. I
crossed over a bubbling creek and then up a series of stairs to a
viewpoint of the billowy cascade of the falls. This fall drops
abruptly twice, the upper portion falling 60 to 100 feet and the
lower portion falling 40 to 60 feet.
The last stop of the day was at Benson
State Park where you can get your best view of Mist Falls. Water
spirals hundreds of feet down tiny Mist Creek. Mist Falls is an
intriguing waterfall. It is the second highest waterfall in Oregon,
after nearby Multnomah Falls. Unfortunately, Mist Falls suffers in
the recognition department for its small flow, particularly in the
summertime. On dry, windy summer days, it is not uncommon for the
entire waterfall to disappear, becoming only a cloud of mist.
From Benson Park, the entire waterfall is visible, but from the
base of the falls, hikers will only be able to see the lower tier.
From the right viewpoint, the water seems to miraculously fall
directly from the peak of the mountain, with no visible upper source
other than clear blue sky.
