Latourell Falls is an easy hike.  At only 2.4 miles with a gain of 625 feet, the hike is one for the masses.  And the masses do hike.  Come early.  Come late and there will be no parking.

Here, the first of a series of waterfalls seen from the old Columbia Gorge Highway US 30 in an area known as “Waterfall Alley”.  Technically, it is not the first, but it is the first seen from the old highway heading east from Portland.

The hike being short can easily be an add to other short hikes or even longer, more technical endeavors.

The waterfall rates in the Northwest Waterfall Survey at a reasonable 64.92.  And do the hike and you find Upper Latourell Falls which pings in at 50.61, also respectable.  The area along the canyon is all part of the Guy W. Talbot State Park.  Talbot was the landowner of the canyon and he gave the land to make a park of it in 1929.  The area around the upper falls given to the State in 1934 and 1942 and named the George W. Joseph State Natural Area after the gifter.

MAIN WATERFALL

From the parking lot you can walk to the base of the lower falls underneath a bridge dating to 1914 or head out immediately towards the upper falls.

Passing a viewpoint of the main Latourell Falls, the trail moves around the basin climbing above the main falls.  Views in the fall are better when the leaves drop, but the watershed feeding the falls is small meaning the volume decreases quite a bit later in the season. 

UPSTREAM TO THE UPPER FALLS

Once you get above the falls, you hike up the canyon crossing four little bridges over side streams coming in from the east.  After about a mile, you reach the upper falls.  Upper Latourell Falls consists of an upper block fall which is mostly out of sight and a dramatic plunge fall dropping into a pool which you can walk behind.

Crossing Latourell Creek below the waterfall pool, the trail returns on the other side of the canyon.  A spur eventually leads off steeply to the top of the main waterfall and there is a viewpoint overlooking the bottomland beyond the falls – Rooster Rock and Cape Horn on the Washington side of the Columbia.

RETURN

A couple more switchbacks through big-leaf maples and Douglas firs bring you down to the old highway.  You can walk the road back to the parking lot or look for a non-signed paved trail leading north, down off the road over old stone steps to the picnic area of the Talbot Park.  Keep to the left and follow the path leading under the highway bridge.

From the bridge, the path leads on to the plunge pool of the main waterfall and finishes crossing the creek and returning up to the main parking area.

THERE IS ALWAYS A STORY

The falls and creek were named after Joseph Latourell, the first postmaster of the community which was known originally as Rooster Rock.  A former seaman who came ashore at Fort Vancouver before moving upriver here to establish himself.  Married in 1859, the family was known as musicians.  They ran both a store and a saloon.  The family would meet boats – later trains – from Portland on the Columbia by the Rock – pre-freeway, the Rock jutted out into the river much more almost a separate island.  Visitors were entertained, staying overnight to dance the night away.

Rooster Rock was originally named Iwash, a Chinook term for penis.  Lewis and Clark referred to the rock as “Cock Rock”.  The name later amended by locals as to not offend sensibilities.  It makes for a short but interesting climb.  Trucks give toots from their horns as you scramble your way to the top.