While we were in Portland, we made plans to go to Multnomah Falls (1), a popular waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge that has multiple drops, a picturesque bridge, and a trail that lets you hike to the top of the falls. Unfortunately, the website we used for planning didn't mention that due to a fire last fall, the trail was closed and you could only see the falls from the bottom. This was a big bummer because we had spent most of the previous day in the car and I was really desperate to stretch my legs. Thankfully, while I sulked my wife decided to be productive and asked a park ranger where else we might go. He recommended Latourell Falls, in nearby Guy W. Talbot State Park. This turned out to be a great recommendation. Latourell Falls are nearly as impressive as Multnomah, and the loop trail takes you from the bottom of the falls up along the Latourell Creek, through gorgeous old-growth forest to a second waterfall. Upper Latourell Falls is a double-fall (2), but the top part is mostly hidden. The trail leads to the base of the lower fall (3,4), which is partially sheltered so you can walk almost completely behind it (5). From there the creek continues down to the main fall (6), but the trail climbs up to the left of the creek (7) before descending sharply back to the bottom of the falls where it began. Latourell Falls is around a 250-foot drop over a ledge of eroded column basalt (8). When basalt erupts from volcanoes and cools quickly, it forms into hexagonal columns that you can see clearly behind it (9). The force of the water falling creates quite a misty breeze at the bottom; it's a nice place to cool off after a hike. From there the water follows a stream that eventually makes its way into the Columbia River. While Latourell Falls (10) is definitely more impressive, it's also more crowded because it's only a short walk from the parking lot. We enjoyed Upper Latourell Falls more simply because we were the only people there at the time. #latourellfalls #upperlatourellfalls #latourellcreek #multnomahfalls #guywtalbotstatepark #portlandoregon #hiking #waterfalls #columnbasalt #columbiarivergorge #oldgrowthforest (at Latourell Falls)
