Eagle Creek Trail showcases Gorge recovery
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Danger and beauty lurk around seemingly every corner on the Eagle Creek Trail. Photos: Kale Williams/Axios
I ventured out to the Eagle Creek Trail last week for some dramatic cliffside hiking, a reminder of nature's resilience, and a truly unique waterfall experience.
The big picture: Nearly a decade after the Eagle Creek Fire, the trail of the same name remains as iconic as ever.
State of play: The trail stretches more than 26 miles round-trip from the trailhead near Cascade Locks to Wahtum Lake. But the best part of out-and-back trails is you can just turn around anytime you feel like you've reached a good halfway point.
- Yes, but: This hike is definitely not for young children or anyone with a fear of heights, as several sections are carved into cliffs hundreds of feet above the canyon with only a cable handrail to hang onto.
Zoom in: This trail is packed with waterfalls, to the point where it feels like you come upon one around every corner in some stretches of the hike.
- Punchbowl Falls is the first big one you'll encounter, about 2 miles in, and it's a great option for anyone looking for a shorter jaunt.
- A small spur trail offers access to Lower Punchbowl Falls but will add about half a mile and a couple hundred feet in elevation to the hike.
- A group of roughly 150 hikers were forced to shelter at the falls overnight the day the Eagle Creek Fire started.
Flashback: It was a blisteringly hot day in September 2017 when a teen tossed a firework into the ravine, starting what would become a nearly 50,000-acre inferno, the largest to burn in the Gorge in roughly a century.
- The trail was closed for several years after the fire, and evidence of the conflagration is still apparent throughout the hike.
- Large stands of trees remain blackened or ashen gray, but signs of nature's rebound are just as prevalent, with wildflowers blooming and maples regaining their foliage.
Around mile 3, you'll cross High Bridge, which had to be replaced after the fire and spans a 120-foot narrow channel above the creek, but you'll want to keep going for the hike's real highlight.
- Around the 6-mile mark, you'll come to Tunnel Falls, named for the cavern carved in the cliff that takes you behind the waterfall.
- Ferns line the tunnel and the power of the falls almost feels like it ripples through you as you pass behind the 172-foot cascade.
- It would be easy to stop there, but if you press on for another quarter mile, you'll be treated to unique views of the 140-foot Twister Falls.
By the numbers: When I did the hike last week, it took me about five hours to complete the 13-ish miles out and back with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain.