Wahclella Falls Trail

Watching Wahclella (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013

"The Wahclella Falls trail is one of the Gorge's finest short trails -- an easyish one-mile trail heads up a beautiful river gorge under towering walls past old-growth verdancy ... all leading up to a thundering waterfall pouring from a dramatic slot -- Whoa, adjective o.d.!"


Cook. Pokin' 54
Wahclella Trail - SaturdayColumbia Cascades Trail Skills College. April 25 to 26, 2014. Cascade Locks, Oregon.Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
Wahclella Trail - SaturdayColumbia Cascades Trail Skills College. April 25 to 26, 2014. Cascade Locks, Oregon.Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

Hatchery Intake Dam

Hatchery Waterworks on Tanner Creek (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013Copyright © 2015 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

"...a small intake dam for the Bonneville Fish Hatchery..."


USFS. "Wahclella Falls #436, Oregon" Posted at Trailhead.

Munra Falls

Munra Falls (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013

Northwest Waterfall Survey, Munra Falls

Munra Falls is a small sliding horsetail located adjacent to the Wahclella Falls trail. In the winter and spring, a solid stream of water sheets down a smooth face of rock, however in the late summer, its reduced to a thin braid. Not too exciting so far huh? Well, the falls are only an arm's length from the bridge, you can reach out and touch the falling water. Now are you interested? Thought so.

Most estimates at the falls height suggest it drops about 35 feet. I measured it in 2009 to stand 68 feet tall, which speaks very loudly to the degree of foreshortening leveled on the viewer gazing at the falls. Kids seem to love this one regardless of its size, but it's really a consolation prize, considering Wahclella Falls lies 15 minutes up the trail.


Munra Falls. Northwest Waterfall Survey.http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/nws/falls.php?num=4037
Falls on Wahclella Trail (2014)Columbia Cascades Trail Skills College. April 25 to 26, 2014. Cascade Locks, Oregon.Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
Munra Falls Bridge (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013

Lower Loop

"...the trail forks after 0.7 mile (1.1 km). If you have small children it is advisable to stay on the lower trail and avoid the sheer-sided return loop."


USFS. "Wahclella Falls #436, Oregon" Posted at Trailhead.
Tanner Creek near Loop Trail Bridge (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013.Copyright © 2015 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
Small Falls near WahclellaColumbia Cascades Trail Skills College. April 25 to 26, 2014. Cascade Locks, Oregon.Copyright © 2014 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

Wahclella Cave

Exploring the Cave (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013.Copyright © 2015 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

Scott Cook, Pokin' Round the Gorge

The cave mouth is drippy and damp, but 15 feet in the cave curves a bit and dries out. And wow, the cave surprisingly tunnels another 50 feet until it's sudden end.

Summer time hikers will rarely venture past the first few feet -- who packs a flashlight to go on a waterfall hike? ... The whole tunnel is rocky and only 4 - 5 feet high, but if you're not afraid of a little dirt and a spider or three...


Cook, Pokin' 54

Wahclella Landslide

"The trail winds past house-sized boulders left behind by a 1973 landslide."


USFS. "Wahclella Falls #436, Oregon" Posted at Trailhead.

Wahclella Falls

Just Wahclella... (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013Copyright © 2015 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved

"Wahclella Falls is one of the more spectacular waterfalls in the gorge -- a 350-foot (107 m) two-tiered plunge with the final 60-foot (18 m) section providing a powerful horsetail fall into an enormous splashpool."


USFS. "Wahclella Falls #436, Oregon" Posted at Trailhead.
Falls Into the Falls (2013)Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013. Copyright © 2015 A. F. Litt, All Rights Reserved
In the Mists Below Wahclella FallsColumbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Oregon. May 19, 2013

"Watch for water ouzels bobbing and diving on the side of the stream, and for spawning salmon at the base of the falls during late fall."


USFS. "Wahclella Falls #436, Oregon" Posted at Trailhead.

Video (By Others...)

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