Tygh Valley, Oregon

Note: The overlook at Metlako Falls is closed. Find out more info here. This is a fairly short hike. 2 miles in to Punchbowl Falls (past Metlako Falls) and then 2 miles out. I’ve done it in all sorts of conditions from 95 degree sunny summer days to a trip in a deep freeze where I got in my wets...

Park at the Eagle Creek Trailhead, and backtrack out towards the highway. Take the path to the right and walk alongside the highway for nearly a half mile. Stop when you are on the bridge and see the Ruckel Creek Trail to your right. If you look left, you will notice a waterfall dropping below yo...

This is a very short and fairly easy, 1 mile in – 1 mile out, hike with a little bit of elevation gain. I took my time hiking and enjoying the scenery with the intention of this being a photo heavy trip. When I got to the end I spent at least an hour shooting from every angle I saw fit. Once you ...

This trail is temporarily closed. Please visit the Forest Service website for updates to trails in the Columbia River Gorge. This hike starts at the Wahclella Falls trailhead, but does not use that trail. Instead, walk back towards the freeway and take a left onto the Columbia River Highway Tr...

The wooden bridges, Munra Falls, beautiful canyon walls, and the mossy grotto at the end of the canyon itself would be enough of a draw for this hike, but you round the last corner and 65 foot Wahclella Falls comes in full view.The big snow covered river rocks looked like giant marshmallows, and ...

Multnomah Falls, which is about 5 miles from Elowah [along the Historic Columbia River Highway] takes a large portion of the crowd due to its visibility from the highway. With that said, you may get a much more deserted Elowah Falls if you decide to take the short but steep 15-minute hike to it...

Starting at the John B Yeon Trailhead parking lot, begin to walk into the forest. After a little more than a quarter mile, you will see a fork in the road, with one way leading to Elowah Falls, and the other way leading to Upper McCord Creek Falls. Take the trail leading to Upper McCord Creek. Th...

Hike up into the forest (take the right path, not the one going left), and follow it all the way until you get to "Carpenter Lake" (which always seems to be just an empty, marshy field). Keep going and do not take the right path at the first Y split off. Instead, stay left, until you come to anot...

Starting near the entrance to the fee-free Cottonwood Canyon State Park, which is one of Oregon's newest state Parks, find the large sign for the start of the Pinnacles Trail.  This park was formerly a ranch, and this largely flat trail runs along an erstwhile ranch road that follows the John Day...

Located along the Hamilton Mountain Trail, the Hardy and Rodney falls out and back hike is a good alternative for those looking for a shorter hike compared to the 7.6-mile hike to the top of Hamilton Mountain. From the Hamilton Mountain Trailhead, you will follow the trail through thick trees fo...

Ponytail Falls is an easy 0.8 mile hike located in the gorge that begins at Horsetail Falls. After hiking up mild switchbacks, continue to your right at the first trailhead intersection. The path levels out before coming around the mountain and opening up to the waterfall. This is the easiest wa...

Start off on this loop from Horsetail Falls Trailhead. It never hurts to start a hike with a view of Horsetail Falls. This 2.5 mile loop will start you off on Gorge trail #400 up Horsetail Falls Trail. You’ll encounter a few switchbacks before the trail flattens out and leads you into the valley ...

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain)...here This hike is very short (1 mile roundtrip) but does take some time to do. The trail leads down from the road into a stream bed. You follow the stream bed upstream through ...

Access to Triple Falls is currently closed. Learn more on the Forest Service Site. This hike, starting at the Oneonta Trailhead is a 3.2 mile roundtrip. You will gain approximately 600 feet in elevation as the trail often switches from moderate flat easy hiking to more difficult elevation gain a...

At the parking lot for Angel's Rest, turn left uphill on to Palmer Mill Road. Drive for about a mile, and park right past a tributary stream/small waterfall (pictured above) on your left that flows through a small pipe under the road. You will see a small space to park on the right. Park here and...

The Multnomah-Wahkeena loop is a classic hike in the Columbia Gorge. Few hikes take you by as many waterfalls, and the tree cover makes it a great hike in the rain. Starting at the Multnomah Falls Parking Area, head to the main viewing area of Multnomah Falls. If you get there early in the morn...