The Eagle Creek Fire in September 2017 devastated much of the forest surrounding many of the waterfalls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Because of the fire most of the trails to these falls have been closed, but as of Spring 2021 many of the trails have been repaired and are open for hiking. I recently visited The Gorge to check on the forest recovery and the current conditions for photographing the most popular waterfalls. Here’s a recap on what I found:
- Latourell Falls (pictured above) – Looking good. The forest immediately surrounding the falls was spared from the fire.
- Shepperds Dell – The trail down to the lower viewpoint is closed. It’s possible to get a photo from the top, but there is a jumbled mess of tree branches near the bottom of the falls, making it difficult to get a good photo.
- At the time of my visit (early April 2021), the Historic Columbia River Highway was closed due to a landslide between the Angels Rest Trail parking area and Ainsworth State Park. Because of that, I was unable to check Wahkeena Falls, Horsetail Falls, and Pony Tail Falls.
- Multnomah Falls – The historic highway access was closed, but it’s still possible to visit the falls via the parking areas on I-84. However, this being one of Oregon’s most visited attractions plus the pent-up demand for getting out and enjoying nature, both parking areas were full by 9 AM on the two weekdays I was in the area. The good news is that thanks to a heroic effort by the fire crews, the forest immediately surrounding the falls and the historic lodge survived the fire and they are just as photogenic as ever.
- Wahclella Falls – The trail to the falls is open. There are many burned trees along the trail and in the creek canyon, but enough of them survived so that the area should look good as the deciduous trees leaf out. There is, however, a huge log jam at the bridge immediately below the falls, which precludes great photos from the more pulled-back viewpoints such as the classic view in Photographing Oregon. I found several species of wildflowers blooming along the trail, and ferns just starting to unfurl new fronds.
- Punchbowl Falls – The Eagle Creek Trail was briefly opened but is now closed again due to a landslide. The campground near the trailhead is also closed.
- Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls – The trail to Elowah Falls is closed due to a landslide, but the trail to Upper McCord Falls (same trailhead in John Yeon State Park) is open. The first 2/3 of the trail passes through a totally burned ghost forest. A few wildflowers are starting to bloom under the blackened snags and in the upper part of the trail near the falls. The view of the falls from the end of the trail is pretty good although the trees at the top of the falls are burned, as you can see in the photo below.
Highway crews are working to clear the slides on the Historic Columbia River Highway, and I expect it will be open again soon. For updates, go to the Oregon Department of Transportation’s TripCheck website. Trail volunteers and Mt. Hood National Forest are working to reopen all the trails, which hopefully will happen in the near future. Check the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Oregon State Parks websites for updates on trail closures.
Detailed information about each of these waterfalls is available in my guidebook Photographing Oregon. You can also find lots of information about hiking the Gorge on the Friends of the Gorge website.
I was very happy to find that much of the beauty of the waterfall area on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge is still there, as are plenty of opportunities for great photography. When you go, please put #NatureFirst and follow Leave No Trace guidelines for hiking and recreating. Have fun and let us know what you find in a Comment below.
by 
Magnifique, mon ami!
Thanks very much, Gary!