Wahclella Falls (Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA)

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Wahclella Falls (Tanner Creek Falls)

Wahclella Falls (also known as Tanner Creek Falls) is one of the relatively lesser known waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. Said to be about 125ft in cumulative height, photos don't quite do this waterfall justice. Its upper tier only reveals itself from the narrow slot it resides in only if you look at it from the right angle. We can only imagine the turbulence in that narrow slot because all that water blasts through the chute as the lower tier as it plunges into a very misty and turbulent plunge pool. Indeed, it's a waterfall to be experienced.

To get to it, you have to do a roughly 2-mile round trip hike (it was quite muddy when we did it) after finding the trailhead, which sits outside what I'm calling "waterfalls row" (a stretch of the Old Columbia Gorge Hwy in which there are heaps of waterfalls along the trail and further inland). Along the way are a few smaller or thinner waterfalls (each attractive in their own way) on a cliffhugging trail reminiscent of the Eagle Creek trail. One of the falls (known as Munra Falls according to one of our books) actually falls right besides a footbridge before joining up with Tanner Creek.

Over the half-way point of the hike, the trail splits into a loop where an upper trail cliffhugs its way towards the falls while offering pretty views of the opening in the gorge below. The lower trail (which we think is more scenic) lets you walk closer to creek level as well as through an interesting alcove as you near the bridge before the falls itself.

Directions: To reach the trailhead, look for the Bonneville Dam exit off the I-84 (exit 40 as you head east on the freeway; you might also be able to get there heading west on the I-84 as well, but I'm not totally sure). Heading south, there will be signs pointing you to the parking area.

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Munra Falls sliding right besides the bridge on Tanner Creek Trail

The Tanner Creek Trail

One of the smaller falls alongside the trail

The muddy fork in the trail

Directly in front of the falls

Up close to that attractive falls near the main falls

Up close to that attractive smaller falls near the main falls

Looking back at the glorious scene on the way to the falls

Looking back at the glorious scene on the way back to the falls

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Bottom up sweep from the footbridge

Bottom up view of an attractive mossy and wispy waterfall nearby Wahclella Falls

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TRIP REPORTS

For more information about our experiences with this waterfall, check out the following travel stories.

March 29, 2009

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