Category: Oregon

Eagle Creek Trail and Tunnel Falls in the Columbia River Gorge

My goal for todays hike was Tunnel Falls. I ended up making it to there and on to Twister Falls just beyond for a thirteen mile adventure up the Eagle Creek Canyon.

I left my base in Hood River, Oregon at 5:30 AM and made it to the trailhead in half an hour. On the way I was treated to this view of Mount Adams across the Columbia in Washington in the early morning light. I was on the trail before 6:00 AM.

As soon as I left the parking area, the trail started it’s long steady climb up the canyon wall. This trail is an US Forest Service site and they do charge a $5.00 fee to park. My America the Beautiful Pass being the gift that keeps on giving covered the tab.

The extremely well made trail quickly gets you high above Eagle Creek as you head upstream. You gain elevation along the way but the grade is moderate and smooth.

It’s still wild flower season in the Columbia Gorge so occasionally I stopped to appreciate the small views too.

On this hike you will pass by several waterfalls. One of the first ones is Punch Bowl Falls. This one is about two miles in and is where a lot of families with small kids turn around. Beyond this point you’ll encounter far fewer people on the journey.

Another mile or so in is Loowit Falls which cascades over the west wall of Eagle Creek Canyon from a side stream.

Near the half way point to Tunnel Falls a narrow Eagle Creek flows through a narrow and deep gorge. This is where the trail crosses over the creek on the so called “High Bridge” and this is the view from it.

The views along this trail are spectacular.

If you’re afraid of heights this trail may be pushing the comfort zone a little. Here is the view of the “High Bridge” after I crossed it.

A thick carpet of ferns and other undergrowth lines much of the trail on the way upstream to the waterfalls.

Upstream from the “High Bridge” is Skoonichuk Falls. The best views are from well below these falls as the trail does not access the top of them at all.

It is a beautiful trail and in places the underbrush encroaches on the pathway.

Much of the trail is carved into cliff sides as it heads upstream.

I lost count of the waterfalls on the way up. All of them would have been star attractions by and of themselves if they had been the only fall on the trail but my goal was Tunnel Falls.

Finally I turned the corner and saw my goal. The trail passes through a tunnel behind the falls about half way between the top and bottom of the gorge.

The views inside the short tunnel are kind of unique. I didn’t get too wet from the mist and the constant dripping from the ceiling of the cave, however if you stayed their long enough you would.

The view from the other side looking back at the fall and the tunnel that gives it it’s name was pretty awesome.

After Tunnel Falls I decided to continue a little ways as there wasn’t any place right by that fall to relax and get ready for the six and a half mile return trip.

After a short stretch along a narrow ledge above the canyon I was treated to one more waterfall, aptly named Twister Falls.

At the top of this cascade their was a nice place to relax and enjoy the views. Now it was time to head back and enjoy the trail from the opposite direction.

Heading back to Tunnel Falls, this photo shows how narrow much of the trial is and how impressive the drop offs are. Many parts of the trail have these cables anchored into the rock wall to provide hand holds for the faint of heart.

Over hanging rocks lined parts of the trail on the way back.

Like a lot of places I’ve visited over the last few years in the Pacific Northwest, Eagle Creek Canyon had been subjected to a major wildfire in the recent past.

The lack of live trees in places opened up the views of the rock formations higher up the canyon walls. This impressive rock spire was eye catching.

The lack of a mature canopy allowed for more sunlight to penetrate to the forest floor and probably encouraged more wildflowers to grow including this one in the process of being pollinated.

After six hours I was back to the “High Bridge” and the halfway point to the trailhead.

It was nice to have clear blue skies for my hike. It happened that I was in the Hood River area right when they experienced a major wildfire that closed the interstate but since I was upwind of the fires, the smoke all blew to the east and away from Eagle Creek.

I did get to see one small reptile. I don’t know what the species was, but it was a pretty little snake.

Eight hours from when I started I finally arrived back at the trailhead.

The hike to and beyond Tunnel Falls is one of the more spectacular hikes I’ve been on in recent years. Considering the length it is a little easier than you would expect but still thirteen miles is a long walk and now I felt the need for a burger and a beer.

After a long day of hiking I stopped in the small nearby town of Cascade Locks and obtained my reward at a place called Thunder Island Brewing Company and enjoyed the view from the deck. Not a bad way to end the day.

The main reason I drove to Hood River and spent a couple of nights was to hike this trail. I managed to fit in a couple of other short hikes in on the trip and dodged a wildfire event. When I have time I will create another post Covering those adventures but until then I hope you enjoy the photos from one of the better hikes I’ve ever been on.

Oregon Road Trip, Smiths Rock, Newberry Volcanic National Monument, Crater Lake and John Day Fossil Beds.

I drove to Bend Oregon and spent a couple of nights in an affordable motel. I planned to visit several places that I always wanted to see and had alternatives in mind in case plans change. That turned out to be a good thing.

I got a 6:00 AM start and made it to Smith Rock State Park a little after 12 noon. This turned out to be the highlight of the trip and you can check out my photos and descriptions here.

After I checked in my room, I drove a few miles south of Bend to check out Lava Butte, a National Forest site showcasing an old cinder cone and lava field.

By the time I got there it was late and the visitor center was closed. I walked a little through the lava field in the lengthening shadows. The place reminded me of a scaled down version of Craters of the Moon in southern Idaho.

So I got up the next morning again at 6:00 AM and made a beeline to Crater Lake National Park. The nice folks at the motel said it was about a two hour drive. It would have been if the north entrance was open. It wasn’t due to fire activity. I had to drive another hour around the park to the south entrance and back track to the park.

So it took me a good three hours to make it to the rim and boy was I in for a disappointment. The higher I got, the worse the smoke got. I could barely see the lake below me. At least they weren’t charging the entrance fee which was also a bummer as I had my America the Beautiful pass and didn’t even get to use it.

The smoke was so thick it hurt to breath and my eyes watered. I’ve had several people tell me that they thought Crater Lake was one of the most beautiful spots they had ever been to. I’ll have to take their word for it. I planned to hike Scott Peak but that was pointless and I later found out they had the trailhead closed anyway due to road construction.

This picture of Wizard Island through the smoke was the best I could do. I stayed about a minute and a half before I decided to try and salvage the rest of the day. I was disgusted by the situation. Damn Oregon wildfires. Additionally the facilities I visited were covered in graffiti and litter was everywhere. Even though you couldn’t really see anything the park was surprisingly busy. Visiting this park has been on my bucket list and sadly I will probably never go back.

So I drove almost three more hours taking the longer and less scenic way near Klamath Falls and went with my plan B, the Newberry Caldera south of Bend. Here I used my America the Beautiful Pass to cover the entrance fee. There wasn’t smoke but the previous nights storm left lingering low clouds and fog. At least I could breath.

My first stop was the Big Obsidian Flow. A nice trail with interpretive signs gave me access to all the lava rocks you could ever ask to see.

There was a lot of obsidian which is basically black glass. It was kind of pretty.

The caldera has two lakes in it.

By now the clouds were starting to lift so I decided to hike to the high point of the caldera rim, Paulina Peak. From where I started to the top and back was about a four mile hike. About half way up the views opened and I could see both lakes as well as the central cinder cone.

I even caught a couple of patches of blue skies near the top. I had the trail to myself on the way up.

When I reached the summit, the weather closed in again. It was time to head back down.

On the way down I could see just how big the cliffs I had recently been on top of were.

On my way out I made one more stop to see a pretty little waterfall. They are winding down this time of year but this one was still pretty nice. I bet it’s real impressive during melt off.

Newberry Volcanic National Monument was a cool place to explore. I’m glad I had a backup plan for Crater Lake but it would have been nice to have clear skies here as well. Still clouds are a lot better than smoke. I finished the day by sitting in a traffic jam that closed the freeway back to Bend for two hours. Probably not my best day on a road trip ever.

I left Bend early the next morning and took the long way home. I headed east on US 26 out of Redmond to see the John Jay Fossil Beds. My first stop was the Painted Hills Unit.

The Painted Hills outside of the hamlet of Mitchell is a colorful series of clay hills that are famous both for their striking appearance and also as the site of huge deposits of fossils. Here they are mostly fossils of plants.

I walked several short trails covering maybe a mile and a half to enjoy the view points and read the interpretive signage.

After about an hour and a half I left and headed towards my next stop.

Another hour to the east is the Sheep Rock unit of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. Here they have a full visitor center.

After checking out the visitor center on the advice of the host, I drove a couple of miles south and checked out the Blue Basin.

These eroded deposits of blue/green clay contain the fossils of mostly mammals from prehistoric times. The striking color made the place feel otherworldly.

The round trip on this trail was about a mile and a half.

Eastern Oregon is a big place. Including my short hikes it took me over thirteen hours to get home. At least most of the drive was scenic and lonely.

So my three day trip cost me two nights in an affordable motel and about a hundred dollars in gasoline. I got to see a lot of places I never had before which is a good thing. Crater Lake was disappointing. I had planned to make a lengthy stand alone post about the National Park. Hopefully the next National Park I visit won’t be covered in wildfire smoke.

Smith Rock State Park. Hiking the Misery Ridge and River Trail Loop

I took a seven hour drive to the high desert country of central Oregon to spend a couple of nights and explore. On my way to Bend, I stopped at Smith Rock State Park.

This wonderful park is located a couple of miles east of US 97 near the town of Terrebonne about twenty miles north of Bend. I paid the five dollar admission and started walking.

The Misery Ridge Trail is across the river the Crooked River from the parking areas and visitor center. This part of the park is crowded with sightseers.

I walked the loop counter clockwise and would highly recommend that direction. The hike begins with a series of steep switchbacks that soon get you away from most of the crowd. To your left are some shear rock walls that are a Mecca for rock climbers.

And to your right and soon way below you is the river that almost encircles the rocks. The switchbacks are challenging and wooden steps help you in s0me of the steepest sections.

It only takes six tenths of a mile to gain the little over seven hundred feet of elevation to the top. The vegetation on the summit consists of sparse desert shrubs and large juniper trees.

The views from the top are outstanding. You can see the distant Cascade Mountains to the west and appreciate the stunning rock formations below you.

I stayed up here a while to enjoy the view. It was sunny and for the time of year, reasonably cool. Signs at the trailhead warn hikers to bring plenty of water and I did. You can get dehydrated here in a hurry.

A short walk further and you begin the descent on the other side of the ridge next to a prominent rock pillar called Monkey Face.

Here’s the view of this rock from below. It’s pretty clear how it came to acquire such an unusual name. There are rock climbing routes up this feature as well.

Soon you find yourself next to the Crooked River on the far side of Misery Ridge from the trailhead. It is a photogenic stream.

You get to follow the river for a couple of miles back to the starting point which is a great way to wind down after getting your heart pumping crossing over the ridge. Here you can still see Monkey Face just left of center.

The River Trail has a new view around every bend.

At one point you can hear a decent size waterfall across the river but can only get a fleeting view of it through the trees covering the far cliff side. What you can see is awfully nice too.

About half way back to the trailhead I saw a couple of raptors circling overhead. It took me a minute to realize that they were a pair of Golden Eagles. They’re bigger than Bald Eagles.

The rocks are fascinating. The park has dozens of rock wall climbing routes.

And here are a couple of folks trying out one of them.

It took me almost three hours to complete the 3.6 mile loop with a total elevation gain of 908 feet. A lot of that time was spent just stopping to enjoy the views. There are other trails in the park that I would have loved to had time to check out.

I even got to see a couple of lizards. We don’t get them much in the Idaho Panhandle.

I made one last short walk to an overlook on the east side of the canyon to get another perspective.

I enjoyed hiking in Smith Rock State Park. The State of Oregon does a nice job of maintaining this beautiful site. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it out this way again but if I do I’d gladly hike this route again.

Smith Rock State Park turned out to be the highlight of my three day Oregon Road trip and the only adventure along the way worthy of it’s own post. You can check out the rest of the trip here.