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Difference between revisions of "Wahkeena Falls Hike"

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{{Closed Trail}}
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[[Category:Northwest Oregon]]
 
[[Category:Columbia River Gorge]]
 
[[Category:Columbia River Gorge]]
 
[[Category:Waterfall Hikes]]
 
[[Category:Waterfall Hikes]]
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[[Category:All Season Hikes]]
 
[[Category:All Season Hikes]]
 
[[Category:Crowded Hikes]]
 
[[Category:Crowded Hikes]]
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[[Category:Hikes]]
  
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[[Image:WahkeenaFalls1.jpg|thumb|300px|Wahkeena Falls]]
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[[Image:WahkeenaFalls1.jpg|thumb|260px|Wahkeena Falls ''(Steve Hart)'']]
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* Starting Point: [[Wahkeena Trailhead]]
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[[Image:WahkeenaFalls2.jpg|thumb|250px|Happy hiker ''(Steve Hart)'']]
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* Ending Point: [[Lemmon's Viewpoint]]
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[[Image:WahkeenaFalls8.jpg|thumb|250px|Giant salmonfly ''(Pteronarcys californica)'' at Wahkeena Creek ''(bobcat)'']]
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[[Image:LemmonsViewpoint1.jpg|thumb|250px|View to Beacon rock from Lemmons Viewpoint ''(bobcat)'']]
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[[Image:WahkeenaFallsMap2.png|thumb|400px|The trail to Lemmons Viewpoint from Wahkeena Falls (not a GPS track) ''(bobcat)'' Courtesy: ''Google Maps'']]
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{{Start point|Wahkeena Trailhead}}
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* Ending Point: [[Lemmons Viewpoint]]
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* Trail Log: [[Wahkeena Falls Hike/Log|Trail Log]]
 
* Hike Type: Out and back
 
* Hike Type: Out and back
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* Distance: 0.4 round trip to bridge, 2.0 round trip to top
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{{Distance|1.4 miles}} round trip to [[Lemmons Viewpoint]]; 0.4 miles round trip to [[Wahkeena Falls]]
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* Elevation gain: 850'
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{{Elevation gain|565 feet}}
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* Difficulty: Moderate
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* High point: 645 feet
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* Seasons: All
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{{Difficulty|Moderate}}
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* Seasons: All year
 
* Family Friendly: Yes
 
* Family Friendly: Yes
 
* Backpackable: No
 
* Backpackable: No
 
* Crowded: Yes
 
* Crowded: Yes
  
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== Trip Reports ==
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=== Hike Description ===
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* [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/thread/6445.aspx Wahkeena Falls to Fairy Falls 9/3/06]
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<b><font color=red>[https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/crgnsa/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD715553 COVID-19 CLOSURE]: This trail is closed until further notice because crowded conditions may facilitate transmission of the novel coronavirus.</font color></b>
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(Click [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ForumID=8 here] to add your own)
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[[Wahkeena Falls]] has a beauty all its own. It's not a huge single fall like [[Multnomah Falls|Multnomah]] or [[Latourell Falls|Latourell]], and there's no lodge or fancy freeway exit to draw people. Wahkeena Creek twists this way and that through a narrow defile, the volume of water belying the fact that the creek is less than a mile long! While it's less than a quarter mile to the falls, you can continue switchbacking up a paved path to a [[Lemmons Viewpoint|viewpoint]] that provides expansive vistas over the west [[Columbia River Gorge]]. A short side scramble to [[The Necktie]], i.e. the upper tier of [[Wahkeena Falls]], and Little Necktie Falls completes the picture of this distinctive waterfall. Note that the excursion to [[The Necktie]] is not for kids or dogs.
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Walk up to the viewing plaza just above the [[Wahkeena Trailhead|parking area]] on the highway. You can appreciate the tiers of [[Wahkeena Falls]] from here, but in spring and summer, the view is partially obscured by mossy big-leaf maples. Head to your right, and cross a footbridge over Wahkeena Creek. Then make a traverse on a paved trail into Douglas-fir/hemlock woods before making a switchback up. The trail traverses to cross the stone bridge, another Simon Benson contribution to the Gorge, in front of [[Wahkeena Falls]]. A bench makes a good resting spot, but when the wind is blowing you can get doused with heavy spray!
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From here, the trail starts up a steep section, climbing about 500 feet in about half a mile. Continue west to pass the former junction with the closed Perdition Trail at a large Douglas-fir. From here, the pathway, which is still paved, rises in 11 stone-walled switchbacks to a junction. The most alert hikers will find a Lego brick cemented into one of the walls. Take the short spur to the right to reach [[Lemmons Viewpoint]], named after an Oregonian fire fighter who lost his life in a Nevada wildfire. Vistas extend across the Columbia River to [[Cape Horn]], the Prindle Cliffs,  [[Archer Mountain]], [[Hamilton Mountain]], and [[Beacon Rock]].
  
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== Hike Description ==
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If you're interested in the short but sketchy scramble down to the top tier of [[Wahkeena Falls]], known as [[The Necktie]], walk back from [[Lemmons Viewpoint]]. About 15 yards past the junction with the spur to the viewpoint, find a trace of a rough trail leading down to the right (Please don't attempt this with dogs and young children.). Make three switchbacks on loose scree to the creek. Little Necktie Falls, about 30’ tall, cascades upstream; a head on look would require standing in the creek. Then, follow the faint tread down the east bank of the creek where you'll soon be bounded by a basalt face on one side and a cable and cyclone fence on the creek side. Please don't lean on the fence or trust any section of it. Eventually, after descending steps hacked into the rock, pass along a narrow chasm and find yourself at a dangerous overlook where the fencing is damaged. Look back up the creek to admire The Necktie, where Wahkeena Creek picturesquely crosses over itself. White shooting stars, mist maidens and Mertens’ saxifrage bloom on the dripping rock face here. You can stare down over two larger and lower drops of [[Wahkeena Falls]] to see the Simon Benson's stone bridge directly below you.
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[[Image:WahkeenaFalls2.jpg|thumb|250px|Happy hiker|left]]
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[[Wahkeena Falls]] is one of the more popular destinations in the gorge and there's a reason for that. Wahkeena Falls has a beauty all it's own. It's not a huge, single fall like Multnomah or Latourell and there's no lodge or fancy freeway exit to draw people. Wahkeena Creek falls this way and that, now a plunge, now a horsetail, now a cascade. It's just beautiful.  
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Wahkeena Trail (#420) is also my favorite beginner trail. Even though there's a lot of climbing here, the surface is good, a lot of it recently paved. One of neat things about the Wahkeena Trail is that there's something cool every few hundred feet. It might be a Columbia River view, or it might be a cascading stream. Lots of rewards make it easier for people to challenge themselves. Every time I'm there, I talk to a new hiker and they tell me how tired they are. I encourage them to climb a bit further. Later in the day, I'm likely to find them 500-1000' higher, still tired, but happy and proud.
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To venture farther up the [[Wahkeena Canyon]], see the [[Fairy Falls Loop Hike]].
  
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The trail starts with some beautiful stonework and a wooden bridge over Wahkeena Creek. Make sure you're headed right here. The trail to the left leads to [[Multnomah Falls]]. The trail climbs in one long switchback to a stone bridge at the base of Wahkeena Falls. Expect a bit of spray on the trail here year-round. In winter, things can get really icy. A large log here was cut away to clear the trail after it fell down the falls. After the falls, look across the valley at the trail you just travelled and you'll see old stonework that's slid from the trail. A bench makes a good resting spot, or a turnaround if you're pressed for time.
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=== Maps ===
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{{HikeMaps|latitude=45.5743|longitude=-122.1276}}
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* [http://friendsofmultnomahfalls.org/maps.html  Trail Maps (Friends of Multnomah Falls)]
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* Green Trails Maps: ''Bridal Veil, OR #428''
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* Green Trails Maps: ''Columbia River Gorge - West #428S''
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* Geo-Graphics: ''Trails of the Columbia Gorge''
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* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: ''Columbia River Gorge''
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* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Zigzag Ranger District''
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* U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: ''Mt. Hood National Forest''
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* National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: ''Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area''
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* [https://www.dropbox.com/s/g921j250s93ky9p/MapHandout_2017.pdf Multnomah County SAR map]
  
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From here, the trail starts up a pretty steep section, climbing about 400' in about half a mile. I have several guidebooks that reference 10 switchbacks, but I counted 12. There are beautiful rock walls, another bench cemented into a wall and better views the higher you climb. The most alert hikers will find a lego cemented into one of the walls. At the top of this first climb, you'll crest a ridge. Follow the pavement out to the point, called [[Lemmon's Viewpoint]]. A plaque here commemorates a firefighter who gave his life fighting forest fires near here. The views from the point are really good up and down the river. This is the end of the hike presented here and this spot makes a pretty good turnaround. On the other hand, better stuff awaits. There's an abandoned trail to the [[Top of Wahkeena Falls]] that's not really for the faint of heart. On the other hand, the hike to [[Fairy Falls Hike|Fairy Falls]] and beyond is on a very well maintained safe trail.
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=== Fees, Regulations, etc. ===
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{{-}}
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* Dogs on leash
 +
* The parking area can get full quickly: Arrive before 9:00 a.m. on weekends.
 +
* Don't take kids and dogs to [[The Necktie]].
  
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== Maps ==
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{{TripReports|Wahkeena Falls}}
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{{HikeMaps|latitude=45.564442|longitude=-122.11427}}
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== Fees, Regulations, etc. ==
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{{RelatedDiscussions|Wahkeena Falls}}
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*None
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== Related Discussions / Q&A ==
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=== Guidebooks that cover this hike ===
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* (Click [http://portlandhikers.com/forums/AddPost.aspx?ForumID=141 here] to ask a question or start a conversation)
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* ''Hiking Waterfalls in Oregon'' by Adam Sawyer
 +
* ''100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington'' by William L. Sullivan
 +
* ''Columbia Gorge Getaways'' by Laura O. Foster
 +
* ''Day Hike! Columbia Gorge'' by Seabury Blair, Jr.
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* ''Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver'' by Douglas Lorain
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* ''Pokin' Round the Gorge'' by Scott Cook
 +
* ''Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest'' by David L. Anderson
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* ''Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest'' by Gregory A. Plumb
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* ''Waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge, Volume One: Oregon'' by Zach Forsyth
  
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== Guidebooks that cover this hike ==
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=== More Links ===
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* ''Day Hike! Columbia Gorge'', by Saebury Blair, Jr.
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* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29998  Wahkeena Trail (#420) (USFS)]
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* ''Afoot and Afield Portland/Vancouver'', by Douglas Lorain
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* [https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/crgnsa/recarea/?recid=29996  Wahkeena Falls (USFS)]
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* ''35 Hiking Trails, Columbia River Gorge'', by Don & Roberta Lowe
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* [https://gorgefriends.org/hike-the-gorge/wahkeena-falls.html  Wahkeena Falls (Friends of the Columbia Gorge)]
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* ''Columbia River Gorge, 42 Scenic Hikes'', by Don & Roberta Lowe
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* [http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/wahkeena_falls.html  "Wahkeena Falls and Wahkeena Creek, Oregon" (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)]
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* ''Hiking the Columbia River Gorge'' - 1st and 2nd Editions, by Russ Schneider
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* [https://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall/Wahkeena-Falls-4053  Wahkeena Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)]
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* ''100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon'' - 3rd Edition, by William L Sullivan
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* [http://www.columbiarivergorge.info/wahkeena-falls1.html  Wahkeena Falls (Columbia River Gorge)]
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* [http://columbiariverimages.com/Regions/Places/wahkeena_falls.html  "Wahkeena Falls and Wahkeena Creek, Oregon" (The Columbia River: A Photographic Journey)]]
  
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== More Links ==
 
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* [http://www.waterfallsnorthwest.com/waterfall.php?num=1895&p=0 Waterfalls of the Northwest]
 
  
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== Contributors ==
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=== Contributors ===
 
* [[User:Stevefromdodge|Stevefromdodge]] (creator)
 
* [[User:Stevefromdodge|Stevefromdodge]] (creator)
 +
* RSDW
 +
* Jen Thomas

Revision as of 15:22, 24 March 2020

This page is marked as a Closed Hike. Some or all of this hike has been closed by a governing body and hikers may be liable for fines or even arrest. At least part of this route may be dangerous and hard to follow, or it may cross areas with sensitive plant life or wildlife habitat. Trailkeepers of Oregon does not endorse or recommend hiking this route. When restrictions are lifted, this notice will be removed.
Wahkeena Falls (Steve Hart)
Happy hiker (Steve Hart)
Giant salmonfly (Pteronarcys californica) at Wahkeena Creek (bobcat)
View to Beacon rock from Lemmons Viewpoint (bobcat)
The trail to Lemmons Viewpoint from Wahkeena Falls (not a GPS track) (bobcat) Courtesy: Google Maps

Contents

Hike Description

COVID-19 CLOSURE: This trail is closed until further notice because crowded conditions may facilitate transmission of the novel coronavirus.

Wahkeena Falls has a beauty all its own. It's not a huge single fall like Multnomah or Latourell, and there's no lodge or fancy freeway exit to draw people. Wahkeena Creek twists this way and that through a narrow defile, the volume of water belying the fact that the creek is less than a mile long! While it's less than a quarter mile to the falls, you can continue switchbacking up a paved path to a viewpoint that provides expansive vistas over the west Columbia River Gorge. A short side scramble to The Necktie, i.e. the upper tier of Wahkeena Falls, and Little Necktie Falls completes the picture of this distinctive waterfall. Note that the excursion to The Necktie is not for kids or dogs.

Walk up to the viewing plaza just above the parking area on the highway. You can appreciate the tiers of Wahkeena Falls from here, but in spring and summer, the view is partially obscured by mossy big-leaf maples. Head to your right, and cross a footbridge over Wahkeena Creek. Then make a traverse on a paved trail into Douglas-fir/hemlock woods before making a switchback up. The trail traverses to cross the stone bridge, another Simon Benson contribution to the Gorge, in front of Wahkeena Falls. A bench makes a good resting spot, but when the wind is blowing you can get doused with heavy spray!

From here, the trail starts up a steep section, climbing about 500 feet in about half a mile. Continue west to pass the former junction with the closed Perdition Trail at a large Douglas-fir. From here, the pathway, which is still paved, rises in 11 stone-walled switchbacks to a junction. The most alert hikers will find a Lego brick cemented into one of the walls. Take the short spur to the right to reach Lemmons Viewpoint, named after an Oregonian fire fighter who lost his life in a Nevada wildfire. Vistas extend across the Columbia River to Cape Horn, the Prindle Cliffs, Archer Mountain, Hamilton Mountain, and Beacon Rock.

If you're interested in the short but sketchy scramble down to the top tier of Wahkeena Falls, known as The Necktie, walk back from Lemmons Viewpoint. About 15 yards past the junction with the spur to the viewpoint, find a trace of a rough trail leading down to the right (Please don't attempt this with dogs and young children.). Make three switchbacks on loose scree to the creek. Little Necktie Falls, about 30’ tall, cascades upstream; a head on look would require standing in the creek. Then, follow the faint tread down the east bank of the creek where you'll soon be bounded by a basalt face on one side and a cable and cyclone fence on the creek side. Please don't lean on the fence or trust any section of it. Eventually, after descending steps hacked into the rock, pass along a narrow chasm and find yourself at a dangerous overlook where the fencing is damaged. Look back up the creek to admire The Necktie, where Wahkeena Creek picturesquely crosses over itself. White shooting stars, mist maidens and Mertens’ saxifrage bloom on the dripping rock face here. You can stare down over two larger and lower drops of Wahkeena Falls to see the Simon Benson's stone bridge directly below you.

To venture farther up the Wahkeena Canyon, see the Fairy Falls Loop Hike.

Maps

  • Maps: Hike Finder
  • Trail Maps (Friends of Multnomah Falls)
  • Green Trails Maps: Bridal Veil, OR #428
  • Green Trails Maps: Columbia River Gorge - West #428S
  • Geo-Graphics: Trails of the Columbia Gorge
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management: Columbia River Gorge
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Zigzag Ranger District
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Mt. Hood National Forest
  • National Geographic Trails Illustrated Map: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
  • Multnomah County SAR map

Fees, Regulations, etc.

  • Dogs on leash
  • The parking area can get full quickly: Arrive before 9:00 a.m. on weekends.
  • Don't take kids and dogs to The Necktie.

Trip Reports

Related Discussions / Q&A

Guidebooks that cover this hike

  • Hiking Waterfalls in Oregon by Adam Sawyer
  • 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
  • Columbia Gorge Getaways by Laura O. Foster
  • Day Hike! Columbia Gorge by Seabury Blair, Jr.
  • Afoot & Afield: Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
  • Pokin' Round the Gorge by Scott Cook
  • Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest by David L. Anderson
  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest by Gregory A. Plumb
  • Waterfalls of the Columbia Gorge, Volume One: Oregon by Zach Forsyth

More Links


Contributors

Retrieved from "https://www.oregonhikers.org/w/index.php?title=Wahkeena_Falls_Hike&oldid=90080"
Oregon Hikers Field Guide is built as a collaborative effort by its user community. While we make every effort to fact-check, information found here should be considered anecdotal. You should cross-check against other references before planning a hike. Trail routing and conditions are subject to change. Please contact us if you notice errors on this page.

Hiking is a potentially risky activity, and the entire risk for users of this field guide is assumed by the user, and in no event shall Trailkeepers of Oregon be liable for any injury or damages suffered as a result of relying on content in this field guide. All content posted on the field guide becomes the property of Trailkeepers of Oregon, and may not be used without permission.