Metlako Falls

Metlako Falls is the first main waterfall on Eagle Creek. Due to the steepness of the gorge, your view of the falls is rather distant from a lookout that hugs the nearly vertical walled cliffs a little further downstream. You might glimpse a companion waterfall (very hard to see) just to the left, which I think is called Sorenson Falls because it's on Sorenson Creek. Not sure about this, but would've been quite cool to see both falls together. I guess that's only for the birds who can hover over the Eagle Creek Gorge.

Look for a spur trail about 1.5 miles into the hike. This spur leads right to the cliff's edge with a railing to keep you from getting foolishly too close to the edge. Along the way, you'll pass by numerous (almost uncountable) other tributary waterfalls on both sides of the gorge. The trail itself is also quite scenic as it hugs Eagle Creek at first before ascending into a cliffhugging trail that precariously hugs the walls of the Eagle Creek Gorge.

This waterfall could easily be its own attraction, but the Eagle Creek Trail features plenty of other waterfalls (including Punch Bowl Falls and others we didn't do like Tunnel Falls, Eagle Creek Falls, etc.). For that reason, this trail is very popular even though it has dropoff exposure and can be quite strenuous if you make it all the way to Tunnel Falls (which would be 12 miles round trip). In fact, we saw on the local news that one woman fell to her death a couple days after we did this trail so caution can't be understated as you do this hike especially if it's muddy and slippery or rainy.

Just to give you an idea of some of the scenery and waterfalls you'll see on the way to Metlako Falls, we've included several photographs below...

Keep in mind that you can only get back on the freeway going eastbound on I-84. So that means you'll have to make your U-turn at Cascade Locks if you want to go westbound.

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Sometimes waterfalls spill over the narrow trail

Tiny waterfall near the beginning of the trail

A tributary waterfall

Same waterfall as above but in context

Some dropoff exposure

Approaching another trailside waterfall

Looking across the creek at another waterfall

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Bottom up sweep of the falls from the lookout area well downstream

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TRIP REPORTS

• March 29, 2009

GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCES

NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Punch Bowl Falls
• Wahclella Falls
• Elowah Falls

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