Hike #11 - Latourell Falls, Sheppards Dell Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls

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.