Looking for the Moon, Settled for the Sun

Haze obscured the moon rising over Mount Hood, but as serendipity would have it, it was a gorgeous sunset.

Late Summer Sunset as viewed from Portland's Council Crest

Panther Creek Falls

Panther Creek Falls (130 ft) in Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a combination of falls from Panther Creek and springs which feed the tallest drops. Furthermore Panther Creek splits into two with the majority of the water swirling around a 270 degree turn before gushing down while a small section flows straight and forms a straight waterfall away from the main drop.  
Panther Creek Falls is located about 20 miles north of Cascade Locks on Panther Creek Road, which is just off the Old State Road off Wind River Road north of Carson, Wa. A big gravel parking area welcomes you. The trailhead to the observation deck is across the street on the south end of the parking area. The base of the falls can be reached by scaling a small cliff and down a steep trail but the rewards are worth it.

View of Parking Area looking towards trail head

Trail head

Viewing Platform with Falls in background

Trail to bottom of Falls

Small Cliff

View of Panther Creek Fall from the
Viewing Platform

Panther Creek right before the Falls

View of Panther Creek Falls from the Base

The drops on the left are from springs,
whereas the heavy fall on the right is from
Panther Creek.

Full view of the Falls with the straight drop from Panther Creek
on the very right.

Further Columbia Gorge Falls

Latourell Falls Trailhead is located about 3 miles west of Bridal Veil Falls on the Historic Columbia Gorge Highway. The Lower Falls (224 ft) are a stones throw from the parking lot, the Upper Falls (120 ft) about a mile hike up. But the fall is well worth the initial fairly steep climb.

Lower Latourell Falls

Upper Latourell Falls

Upper Latourell Falls

Dry Creek Falls (75 ft) lies a couple hundred yards off the Pacific Crest Trail about 2 miles from the PCT South trailhead in Cascade Locks. Look for the PCT sign, head up the trail and turn south right before you reach the bridge crossing Dry Creek.

Trail head

Along PCT Trail

Bridge over Dry Creek

Dry Creek Fall

Dry Creek Fall

At Starvation Creek State Park off Exit 55 on Highway 84 (east only) you can view four waterfalls with only a 2 mile roundtrip hike. Starvation Creek Falls (186 ft total, 100 ft longest drop) is right by the trailhead and if you head west along the trail which starts out hugging the freeway, you find Cabin Creek (220 ft/130 ft), Hole-in-the-Wall (96 ft/63ft), and Lancaster Falls (303 ft/231 ft) in rapid succession.

Starvation Creek Falls

Starvation Creek

Cabin Creek Falls

Hole in the Wall Falls

Lancaster Falls

Lancaster Falls

Portland Bridges III

Vista Street Bridge

Broadway Bridge

More Columbia Gorge Falls: Fairy, Horsetail, Elowah, and Wahclella Falls

Fairy Falls (20 ft) is about 1.5 mile up the Wahkeena Trail just west of Multnomah Falls. Along the way you hike along some beautiful sections of the Wahkeena Creek.

Wahkeena Creek

Fairy Falls

Another View of Fairy Falls

Horsetail Falls (214 ft) lies about 3 miles east of Wahkeena Falls right along the historic Columbia River Highway. No hiking required for this view.

Horsetail Falls

Another 9 miles east, an easy 1 mile hike from the John B Yeon trailhead lies the 213 ft Elowah Falls and McCord Creek.

McCord Creek

Elowah Falls

Continuing east about 2 miles, right off the Bonneville Dam exit is the trailhead to Wahclella Falls (total height 127 ft, tallest drop 79 ft). An easy one mile hike leads to a majestic waterfall.

Wahclella Falls

Columbia Gorge Falls: Bridal Veil Falls and Multnomah Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is located about thirty minutes east of downtown Portland off Columbia River Gorge Scenic Highway. A short downhill hike leads to the beautiful 120 ft fall.

Bridal Veil Falls

Multnomah Falls, a 611 ft tall water fall, is the tallest and most popular water fall along the Columbia Gorge. A mile long hike to the top of the falls is rewarded with beautival views of streams and mini falls.

Stream leading to Multnomah Falls

"Little Multnomah Falls" above the main fall

The Multnomah Falls