Tamanawas Falls is grand, both tall and wide with a big undercut behind it. It creates clouds of mist which blow along the amphitheater walls, carpeting all in it’s path with verdant mosses and wildflowers. When flows are high it’s one massive sheet, but at lower flows the falls breaks apart into a few different cataracts, like a smile with a missing tooth. ...
Multnomah Falls is Oregon’s tallest accessible waterfall and perhaps the state’s most iconic landmark. It’s close proximity to Portland and it’s ease of access make it Oregon’s most visited location as well, with over 2 million visitors per year. And simply put, it is truly beautiful....
The falls in this area are both stunning and varied, with a greater density of waterfalls than the famous Trail of Ten Falls in Silver Falls State Park. The fire damaged areas also give hikers a chance to see the impacts of variations in fire intensity on the landscape as well as to witness the recovery of the Columbia Gorge....
In my humble (or not so humble) opinion, Guy W. Talbot State Park is a true standout in the Columbia River Gorge area. This beautiful state park features two gorgeous waterfalls set in a lush forest, with stunning Latourell Falls as it’s awe-inspring centerpiece. If you are visiting the Columbia River Gorge, Talbot State Park is an absolute must....
Silver Falls State Park is widely considered to be the crown jewel of Oregon State Parks. This gigantic, sprawling park offers world-class hiking, biking, camping, and more in a beautiful and diverse area of forest in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains near Salem. The highlight of the park is the incredible Trail of Ten Falls, which leads past waterfall after waterfall....
Green Peak Falls is by far the more impressive of the pair of waterfalls found in the Alsea River headwaters. It splashes and slides down a 50-foot chute with a lower 5-foot ledge falls which fills a big pool below. The falls are gentle and approachable in summer and fall, when you can climb up on the lower ledge and explore around the pool. At high winter and spring flows the falls gush down with force...
Later in the fall, Alsea Falls becomes a great spot for fishing and for watching the salmon and steelhead try to jump the falls. In winter the falls rage and roar. In late spring the area is filled with rhododendron blooms. And I must agree that the forest in this whole area was extremely pretty....
The hike to the falls is especially nice on a hot summer day. Little Zigzag River is fed by springs and snowmelt coming off Mt Hood. As such, the water is always extremely cold, which in turn keeps the little forested canyon nice and cool. In addition the hike is quick and feels nearly flat...
Abiqua Falls is one of the most epic waterfall locations in Oregon. The main falls pour gracefully and cleanly over columnar basalt cliffs into a huge amphitheater where red lichen mixes with mosses and cliff-dwelling plants on the towering stone walls. While the main plunge is a modest 92 feet, the size and depth of the waterfall basin imparts a sense of grandeur....
Set in an impressive canyon, Steelhead Falls is an emerald oasis in the Central Oregon desert landscape that’s worth a visit. This wide and powerful 20-foot plunge on the upper Deschutes River pours down a few channels into a frothing bowl with a perfect head-on viewpoint....
