On the morning of day six of the cross-country trip, we were still in northern Oregon an popped in for a short hike in the Columbia River Gorge before tracking eastward…

Not to be confused with nearby Wahkeena Falls, the stem-and-loop hike described here features the 60-foot Wahclella Falls, one of the more impressive flumes in the area. The walk is relatively level and straightforward, threading a narrow canyon en route to the waterfall. There is another, smaller chute along the way—30-foot Munra Falls—and a diverse landscape of flora in what was once an even-lusher landscape prior to the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.

The hike

The Wahclella Falls Trail begins at a dead-end parking area just south of the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, about halfway between Troutdale and Hood River (take Exit 40 off Interstate 84). Set back in the Tanner Creek drainage, out of sight of the Columbia River, the trail begins as a wide, graveled path through a mixed forest, with the stream appearing on the right.

The path is an easy stroll as it courses southward for ¼ mile to a small dam on the right. Thereafter the trail narrows, enters the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness, and crosses a wooden bridge over a tributary. Surprise! There is a waterfall so close on your left that it is within spitting distance: this is Munra Falls, about 25-30 feet.

The trail thins further beyond, hugging a fern-laced, basalt wall. The hike’s first real incline follows soon thereafter, with Tanner Creek now well below trail height. Here the path cuts through the narrowing canyon and ascends to a point where the creek is nearly obscured. Passing a burned area (from the Eagle Creek Fire), the route bounds up a short staircase, then rises further to an unmarked trail fork. This is the start of the loop portion of the hike.

Staying left first, come to a bridge over another tributary. Now high above the canyon, hikers get a reprieve as the incline reverses, dropping toward the waterfall. And then, at last, dodging a gaggle of boulders, come down to a perch overlooking Wahclella Falls and the lovely, deep blue pool into which it flows. Wahclella is a relatively high-volume chute and one of the most attractive in the Columbia River Gorge.

Continuing down further to a wooden bridge below the falls offers a different look at the waterfall, which slices through a cleavage in the basalt layer. After the bridge, the trail courses back north toward the trailhead and skirts a grotto and small cave on the left.

Soon you’ll cross a second bridge back over Tanner Creek, followed by two surprisingly steep switchbacks. This in turn leads back to the start of the loop portion. Head left and follow the entry route for about 2/3 mile, passing Munra Falls and the dam again before culminating at the parking area.