Wahclella Falls, like its close neighbor, Elowah Falls, is overlooked by many visitors to the Columbia River Gorge. That is not to say the waterfall does not have visitors. It does, just not as many as you might find a little further west in “Waterfall Alley”. On this stretch of the old US Highway 30, you find the Big Five – Lautorell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena, Multnomah and Horse Tail. There are several other waterfalls to be discovered by short hikes off the highway.

“Magic” defined as “a quality that makes something seem removed from everyday life, especially in a way that gives delight.” The waterfalls encountered here along Tanner Creek easily satisfy the definition. Even after the horrible 2017 wildfire roared through here, magic certainly remains.

BASICS

“Overlooked” is probably a bit of an exaggeration. The parking lots for both Elowah and Wahclella fill quickly. Wahclella’s trailhead only has room for a dozen cars while Elowah’s is not much larger. A difference for Wahclella is you need to pay $5 for a day parking pass. Or buy a Northwest Forest Pass, an annual $30 fee covers you there. Come early and avoid weekends if possible.

The best time of the year to visit here is late March to late May. That is the same for any Columbia River Gorge destination – and most northern Oregon waterfalls, in general – for the most part in my opinion. The waterfalls are at their best, flowers are blooming, it has not gotten too hot yet. Weekends can still be a drag. Weather can also be great or not so. Spring rains provide much of the water supply for the Portland area in a watershed just south of the Gorge. Rains can make some of the hikes tricky. Plus, if it is raining hard, the canyons can slide especially after the fire, a potentially dangerous situation.

MUNRA FALLS

So, you have a dry weekday in late April. You arrive early enough in the morning to grab a parking spot. The trail starts out for a few hundred yards as a road running up the east bank of Tanner Creek. Reaching a small dam on the creek the trail be truly begins. The dam serves as one of the water supplies for large Bonneville Fish Hatchery on the Columbia side of I-84.

A small sign announces you are entering into the Mark Hatfield Wilderness Area as you walk on a bridge over Munra Falls, a 68 foot horsetail fall – rating of 31.02 – dropping right in your face into Tanner Creek. Munra Falls is the lowest and most obvious of seven waterfalls on the short-lived creek falling off the slopes of Munra Point high above according to the Northwest Waterfall Survey.

UP CANYON

You slowly gain a little ground continuing up the Tanner Creek Canyon. Many of the trees down low in the canyon were spared from the 2017 flames. The trees on the crown of the canyon walls were not so lucky. The Forest Service recommends not hiking on the trail for 48 hours following heavy rains and snow due to the danger of landslides. While all of the trees were not burnt, a majority of them and much of the groundcover was making for a non-stable landscape.

beyond

After 0.7 miles, the trail forks – actually, the trail becomes a loop. The best views are seen by hiking in a counterclockwise direction, so drop down to cross Tanner Creek on a first bridge. From this bridge up to the falls, you will notice huge house-sized rocks the creek has to hop around. These fell during a landslide in November 1973 – before the fire! Sometimes the magic can take on a dark side.

WAHCLELLA FALLS

The 15 million old lava cliffs constrict, focusing the drama on Wahclella Falls – known on some USGS maps as Tanner Creek Falls. There are actually two drops to the waterfall. There is a somewhat hidden upper 48 foot section and the more obvious 79 foot lower drop. To add to the mystic, another waterfall – East Fork Falls – drops 130 feet into the gorge between the two portions of Wahclella. Wahclella rates at 69.52 making it the third-highest rated waterfall in Multnomah County (after Multnomah and Bridal Veil).

Wahclella Falls in 360 view. Click and hold mouse for full 360 effect.

Come up here in late fall and you might see salmon spawning. The splash pool is large with huge tree trunks evidence of heavy winter flows. Mountain Corgi and I were lucky and early in that only one other couple were up here to enjoy the magnificence. We soon passed a twenty others making there way up as we went down and this was a weekday. Come early!

360 clip at Wahclella Falls. Click and hold mouse for full 360 effect.

RETURN

Return on the east side which routes high above the east bank of Tanner Creek. This part of the trail has only ecently been opened due to damage from the fire and ensuing slides. You get great views of the canyon basalt walls and can look down on the landslide debris of 1973.

Too soon, the beginning of the trail is reached marking the end of your journey. Cars are awaiting your exit.