The Eagle Creek Trail
by Jeff Swan
Title
The Eagle Creek Trail
Artist
Jeff Swan
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Hike to Eagle Creek
Discover a canyon full of waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge.
About the Hike: The Eagle Creek Trail is one of Oregon's most spectacular paths, passing half a dozen major waterfalls. The trail is also an engineering marvel. To maintain an easy grade through this rugged canyon, the builders blasted ledges out of sheer cliffs, bridged a colossal gorge and even chipped a tunnel through solid rock behind 120-foot Tunnel Falls.
Difficulty: A moderate 4.2-mile hike to Punchbowl Falls (with 400 feet of elevation gain), or a difficult, 12-mile hike to Tunnel Falls (with 1,200 feet of elevation gain).
Season: Open all year.
Getting There: From Portland, take Interstate 84 to Eagle Creek exit 41, turn right and keep right along the creek for a mile to the road's end. Because the Eagle Creek exit is only accessible from the west, travelers from Hood River have to take Bonneville Dam exit 40 and double back on the freeway for a mile. The trail is so popular the parking lot fills by 10 am on sunny weekends, leaving latecomers to park half a mile away. Leave nothing of value in your car as break-ins are a problem at the trailhead.
Fees: Recreation Fee Pass (Northwest Forest Pass) parking permits are required at the trailhead. They cost $5 per car per day or $30 per season.
Hiking Tips: Although this is a great place to backpack, tenting along the first 7.5 miles is allowed only in four designated camp areas, where competition for weekend space is keen. Campfires are strongly discouraged. An additional caution to parents: trailside cliffs make this no place for unsupervised children.
The trail starts along the creek but soon climbs well above it along a slope of cedars and mossy maples. Look for yellow monkeyflowers and curving fronds of maidenhair fern overhanging the path. After 0.8 mile the trail traverses a cliff with cables as handrails. At the 1.5-mile mark several short side trails to the right lead down to a viewpoint of 100-foot Metlako Falls in the distance.
Uploaded
June 18th, 2013
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Comments (41)
Rosalie Scanlon
Wow, fantastic image, the trail looks a little scary to me, but certainly beautiful. v.
Merridy Jeffery
This could be a little scary if you're tall, or if it's raining. Nice and serene place to take a hike.
Randy Rosenberger
It is with true pleasure that I am FEATURING your wonderful piece of beautiful artwork on the HOMEPAGE of our site, Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery, as your talent and skill and prowess in your artistic endeavors are obvious by the beauty and the love you show in your works. Thanks for sharing, Forever, Elvis Fave and Vote
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