Hike to Wahclella Falls
One of the easiest waterfall hikes in the Columbia River Gorge is also one of the most rewarding. The short trail to Wahclella Falls follows the contours of a canyon and ends at a magnificent two-tiered waterfall. Gigantic mossy boulders, weeping basalt cliffs, the cascades of Tanner Creek, and delicate seasonal waterfalls keep the journey interesting as you make your way toward the finale. Here is everything you need to know about the hike to Wahclella Falls.
The Wahclella Falls Trail follows Tanner Creek
Know before you go
Use the NW Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass to park at the Wahclella Falls Trailhead. A day pass costs $5. Purchase a pass before you arrive or, if you have phone reception, scan the QR code at the trailhead sign to buy one.
The parking lot is small and fills up quickly, especially during summer weekends. If it is full, head up the hill to find free parking. A sign points the way to the overflow parking.
Leashed dogs are welcome on the Wahclella Falls Trail.
Look for a few port-a-potties next to the trailhead.
Although a family-friendly trail, there are some steep drop-offs to watch for starting about 0.5 miles into the hike. The trail begins nice and flat, but don’t be fooled. It soon narrows and is not doable with a stroller.
Wahclella Falls
On the Wahclella Falls Trail
Distance: 2.4-mile lollipop loop
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Pass required: NW Forest Pass or America the Beautiful Pass
Dog friendly: Yes
ADA access: No
Season: All year
Basic directions:
From the trailhead, continue 0.7 miles until you reach a fork.
Take a left at the fork.
Continue around the small loop past the falls. When you return to the fork, take a left to return to the parking lot.
The mushrooms along the trail look lovely in early winter
The details:
The Wahclella Falls Trail begins wide, flat, and even. As you walk, you’ll see Tanner Creek to your right. Its current is most impressive in winter and spring, thanks to the abundant rains. Alongside the creek, rocks covered with moss and maidenhair ferns provide color to the otherwise dormant undergrowth of winter. In summer, expect lush, green vegetation here.
Maidenhair ferns growing next to Tanner Creek
After 0.25 miles, you’ll pass a small dam that supplies water to the Bonneville Fish Hatchery. The hatchery releases juvenile salmon in Tanner Creek using a pipeline. These fish will migrate to the Pacific Ocean, grow to adulthood, and then return after several years at sea. Keep an eye out for spawning salmon in Tanner Creek during the fall. They make it as far as Wahclella Falls. A fish ladder helps them navigate past the dam.
A small dam next to the trail
Shortly after passing the dam, the trail becomes narrower and more uneven. You’ll see a sign marking the boundary of the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness just before crossing a wooden footbridge. Next to the footbridge, Munra Falls is close enough to reach out and touch as you walk. This 35-foot waterfall is powerful in winter and spring but slows to a trickle by the end of summer.
Munra Falls
Past the footbridge, you’ll start to move away from the creek as you gain some elevation. The Wahclella Falls Trail follows a dramatic slot canyon flanked by basalt cliffs. Lava flows millions of years ago passed through this area, depositing layers of basalt. At the bottom of the canyon, you’ll see boulders larger than cars that fell from the eroding canyon walls. Look for hexagonal columns of basalt in the exposed cliffs. These columns form when lava cools evenly. You’ll see a great example of columnar basalt next to the trail just past the footbridge. In wetter months, water drips over the columns, looking like a fountain in the lobby of a day spa.
Columnar basalt next to the trail
As you hike through the canyon, you’ll see burnt trees intermingled with the living ones. These charred trunks are casualties of the 2017 Eagle Creek fire. As the dead trees fall in this recovering forest, they make the canyon walls unstable and prone to landslides. Fallen logs and eroding hillsides are common sights here. Despite the challenge of maintenance, the trail is in good condition and without major obstacles.
Seasonal waterfall in December
Winter and spring are great times to see seasonal waterfalls along the trail. Rainwater and snowmelt in wetter months form ephemeral, wispy waterfalls that tumble in narrow streams down the canyon walls. The most dramatic of these seasonal waterfalls is near Wahclella Falls.
This seasonal waterfall near Wahclella Falls is present for most of the year
After about 0.7 miles from the trailhead, you’ll reach a fork in the trail that begins a small loop at the end of the hike. You can go either direction to do the loop. I always go left but couldn’t tell you why. If you’re hiking with small children, you might want to go right and do the hike as an out-and-back to minimize the drop-offs.
A fork in the trail begins a loop
Keeping left at the fork, you’ll continue along the canyon wall and cross a second wooden footbridge over a small stream.
Once you reach this bridge, you’re almost there
Look for a tall and misty seasonal waterfall across the canyon that is present for most of the year.
The best seasonal waterfall is near the end of the hike
About 0.2 miles from the fork, you’ll be at the base of breathtaking Wahclella Falls. One of the most powerful waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, it is most impressive in winter and spring. You’ll first notice the lowest tier as it plunges 60 feet down a mossy cliff. Its upper tier will be hidden at first due to the unusual angle of the falls.
Wahclella Falls
As you continue around the base of the falls, the upper tier will come into view as it tumbles down the side of the narrow slot canyon. The force of the falling water sends a thin cloud of mist across the pool to the hiking trail, where it cools tired hikers on hot days and chills them on cold ones.
Wahcella Falls flows out into Tanner Creek
Around the base of the falls, you’ll find boulders to scramble over as you explore. Many fallen logs have also accumulated here as the debris from the Eagle Creek fire piles up at the base of the canyon.
Footbridge near Wahclella Falls
After admiring the Wahclella Falls, cross the footbridge over Tanner Creek. You’ll pass some colossal boulders and, in all but the driest months, the tall seasonal waterfall you noticed earlier from the other side of the canyon.
Heading toward the debris field left by a 1973 landslide
As you continue through an expanse of moss-covered boulders, you can look back to get one last excellent view of Wahclella Falls. Many of the rocks and boulders you see here fell during a major landslide over 50 years ago.
Wahclella Falls
About 0.2 miles from Wahclella Falls, cross another footbridge over Tanner Creek, sometimes called the Lower Bridge. You’ll climb a small hill that will bring you to the fork that began the loop hike. Head left to head toward the parking lot.
Cross one last bridge over Tanner Creek to finish the loop
Getting there
From Portland, take I-84 E until Exit 40 for Bonneville Dam. At the end of the off-ramp, take a right and then another right. Follow the short road down to the parking lot for the trailhead. Getting there is no problem with a low-clearance vehicle. The drive from Portland takes about 40 minutes.
Enjoy your hike to Wahclella Falls!
With love,
Emma
Explore nearby
Head down the street to visit Bonneville Dam.
Hike to Punchbowl Falls on the Eagle Creek Trail.
See all suggestions for the Columbia Gorge.
