Upper McCord Creek Falls

Columbia River Gorge / John B. Yeon State Park / Portland, Oregon, USA

About Upper McCord Creek Falls

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The Upper McCord Creek Falls (also called just Upper McCord Falls) was an attractive double-barreled waterfall said to have a height of about 64ft.

I happened to see this falls in a bit of a low flow state because it lacked that twin segmented characteristic.

John_B_Yeon_SP_108_08172017 - Upper McCord Creek Falls in low late Summer flow
Upper McCord Creek Falls in low late Summer flow

As you can see from the photo above, the left segment of the falls only showed a wet stain on its underlying wall.

I’d imagine that this reduced flow would be typical towards the late Summer, which was the case when I made my visit on August 2017.

Nevertheless, while this falls lacked the dramatic plunge of its downstream neighbor in Elowah Falls, the hike leading up to it featured dramatic scenery and an intimate experience.

Indeed, the scenery included an opportunity to look down at the Elowah Falls as well as cliff-hugging views across the Columbia River Gorge.

John_B_Yeon_SP_076_08172017 - Context of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt Adams as seen from Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail
Context of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt Adams as seen from Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail

The trail also yielded a bit more of an intimate experience with the Upper McCord Creek Falls given the amount of effort to reach it (and hence its reduced popularity).

But rather than giving in to comparing the two waterfalls, I found it worthwhile to combine them in a single hike to get the full experience.

Hiking to Upper McCord Creek Falls

The hike to Upper McCord Creek Falls shared the same trailhead as that of Elowah Falls.

Therefore, it was also within the boundaries of the John B Yeon State Park.

John_B_Yeon_SP_050_08172017 - Context of the trail junction where the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail continued climbing to the left while the trailhead was descending to the right. The Elowah Falls Trail was actually behind me
Context of the trail junction where the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail continued climbing to the left while the trailhead was descending to the right. The Elowah Falls Trail was actually behind me

In order to hike to the Upper McCord Creek Falls, it was about 2.2 miles round trip, but it had a 380ft elevation gain.

If you combine both waterfalls into a single hike, then you’re looking at around 3 miles round trip.

For the first 0.4 miles, the trail ascended above the trailhead parking area and reached the trailhead junction.

At this junction, I went right, and from this point forward, the hike deviated from the Elowah Falls experience.

Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail Description – the long climb

John_B_Yeon_SP_054_08172017 - Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail climbed a series of switchbacks as it gained almost all of its 380ft here
Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail climbed a series of switchbacks as it gained almost all of its 380ft here

The Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail continued its gradual climb as the trail went further to the west.

It eventually switched back as it turned out to be the first in a series of switchbacks ascending far higher than the Elowah Falls Trail did.

Along the way, I noticed some corroded pipes criss-crossing the switchbacks in a couple of spots.

For each of these pipes, I had to climb over them while being careful not to succumb to the dropoffs given the narrow width of the trail.

John_B_Yeon_SP_140_08172017 - The Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail traversed some of the pipes that apparently used to divert water for Myron Kelly's pulp mill back in the late 1800s
The Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail traversed some of the pipes that apparently used to divert water for Myron Kelly’s pulp mill back in the late 1800s

These pipes turned out to be penstocks that used to divert water from McCord Creek towards a pulp mill belonging to settler Myron Kelly in the late 1800s.

Eventually, after the switchbacks (ultimately gaining about 380ft), the trail then skirted a basalt cliff ledge.

This was said to be where Kelly utilized this break in the hard rock layers to move the water from McCord Creek to the pipes that I had to cross over a couple of times.

By the way, if you want to read more about the fascinating history of this area, I’ve provided a link to an excellent source here.

Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail Description – the payoffs

John_B_Yeon_SP_121_08172017 - Looking back at a part of the cliff-hugging stretch of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail with a missing railing
Looking back at a part of the cliff-hugging stretch of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail with a missing railing

With railings to mentally assure me that I wouldn’t go off the dropoffs to my left, this dramatic cliff-hugging part of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail was the first main payoff of this hike.

It afforded me gorgeous views across the Columbia River towards Mt Adams as well as a hint of Cascade Locks in the distance.

The ledged part of the trail would continue to round a bend as it skirted the gorge carved out by the McCord Creek.

At about a half-mile from the trail junction way down below, I started to catch a fleeting glimpse over the top of Elowah Falls (also appearing below this trail).

John_B_Yeon_SP_092_08172017 - Context of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail with Elowah Falls down below
Context of the Upper McCord Creek Falls Trail with Elowah Falls down below

Unfortunately, there was overgrowth in the foreground, which conspired to obscure the views of that waterfall from the trail.

Moreover, some of the railings here were actually loose or had fallen off already so I had to be careful not to get too close to the cliff edges to get a cleaner look at the falls.

In any case, the trail would continue its meander along the ledges (with one section having an overhang above me) for the remaining 0.2 miles before the trail re-entered a forested area.

Shortly thereafter, I approached the Upper McCord Creek Falls where there was a lookout providing the view you see pictured at the top of this page.

John_B_Yeon_SP_103_08172017 - Contextual look at the Upper McCord Creek Falls in low late Summer flow from its main lookout
Contextual look at the Upper McCord Creek Falls in low late Summer flow from its main lookout

The trail actually kept going towards the top of the waterfall, but I was content to turn back at the viewpoint.

After having my fill of this waterfall, I looked forward to taking advantage of my momentum on the all downhill return hike.

Authorities

Upper McCord Creek Falls resides in the John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor, which is within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area near Portland in Multnomah County, Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: columbia river gorge, portland, multnomah, oregon, waterfall, pacific northwest, mt hood, mount hood, historic columbia river, john b yeon, state park, cascade locks, mccord creek, elowah falls



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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