Take a Hike, Eagle Creek - Oregon

Eagle Creek is a wonderland of waterfalls, geologic marvels, natural beauty, impressive trail engineering, and vertigo-inducing views. And that’s just in the first half of the hike! The sound of water – sometimes a trickle, sometimes a roar, sometimes a symphony of creek and falls – is ever-present. Steep hills and deep canyons merge into a rugged and beautiful terrain of forests, meadows, cliffs, and streams, and many of the waterfalls along the trail would ordinarily be destinations in their own right.

Eagle Creek is the second-most popular trail in Oregon, after Multnomah Falls. The first six miles from trailhead to Tunnel Falls is the stunning beginning of a trail leading 12 miles and some 4,000 feet up to Wahtum Lake, with numerous opportunities for backpackers looking to explore the more remote Gorge wilderness. If you haven’t hiked here yet, grab your boots now and head out before the summer crowds hit.

The trail gently ascends for a mile to a stretch of tall basalt cliffs with the trail cut directly into the cliff. Water drips from above, shooting stars and maiden-hair ferns burst from cracks, and a cable steadies your footing above the precipitous drop. At 1.5 miles, there are two side-trails to viewpoints of 100-ft Metlako Falls, named after the goddess of salmon, and just a little further, a side-trail leads down to Punchbowl Falls, one of the most spectacular and most photographed falls in the state.

Hop on rocks or get your feet wet to peer around the bend and watch the creek pour through a funnel and into a deep green bowl. Black rock and evergreens contrast the pebbly creek and the ferns clinging to the cliffs. Water-dippers, little birds that “swim” under the water to catch insects, dart around the stream. The temperature here is always lower than on the trail above, and you may be tempted to stay instead of continuing on.

Back on the trail, you’ll pass an overlook and stroll about a mile through talus slopes and old-growth forests of fir, cedar, and mossy maple. Just past Loowit Falls and the second stretch of high cliffs (120 ft!), High Bridge crosses the creek above a dizzying slot canyon lined with moss, fern and lichen. Most day-hikers stop here for a 6.6 mile round-trip, but the less-crowded trail ahead still has many gems to offer.

The trail passes many campsites as it climbs steadily through the forest. This area burned in 1902, and though the trees aren’t as big as on the lower trail, you’ll hardly notice. You’ll see more waterfalls, cross the creek at 4.5 miles, and pass Wy’East Camp and Wy’East Falls on your way into the Hatfield Wilderness. Hikers must fill out a free pass and observe wilderness regulations.

Once more above the creek, pick your way through a few talus fields to the interesting and aptly-named Potholes. When trail engineers blasted out this section, the vertical columnar basalt fractured into domes and bowls that collect rainwater. Finally, at 6 miles, Tunnel Falls thunders 120 feet into a stunning amphitheater, with moss and lichen-covered walls and a narrow trail hugging the cliff and passing through a tunnel behind the falls. Carved in 1910, the tunnel is cool, wet and exhilarating, but use caution as the high, rocky trail is perpetually wet with spray.

A few hundred yards past Tunnel Falls and across “Vertigo Mile” is the tallest waterfall on the creek and your turn-around spot. This waterfall, with two streams of water crossing each other at the top of a 200 ft drop, seems to have as many names as it does wildflowers on the trail above it. Rest, enjoy, and return.

Your total distance to Tunnel Falls and back is about 12 miles, with a 1,200 ft elevation gain. Although the trail is open year-round, winter ice can be highly dangerous. If you’re planning to camp, learn more before going, as heavy use and various regulations can be challenging, especially on summer weekends. The cliffs are high enough that a fall is almost certainly fatal. Use caution, pass carefully, and leave small children at home. A Northwest Forest Pass, or a $5 day pass, is required at the trailhead. From Portland, take exit 41 from I84, turn right, and continue to the end of the road. To drive home, you have to head east on I84 and turn around in Cascade Locks. The first building on the left sells espresso for the ride…

Article & Images By Jason Weeks, Borrowed Times