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East Oregonian
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Autumn upon Eagle Creek
By TIM TRAINOR
East Oregonian
The Eagle Creek trailhead can
be intimidating.
It’s always crowded — too
many cars, too many people, too
much asphalt. None of which are
good signs for backpacking.
But don’t let the parking lot fool
you. Eagle Creek is the premier
backpacking destination in the
Columbia River Gorge, especially
in the shoulder season when
crowds thin out, the leaves begin
to color and the salmon return.
In fact, half the cars in the lot
seem to belong to salmonid seekers,
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circling below like an oceanic bait
ball. Except in this case, the creek
is only a few feet deep — inches
deep in some places this dry fall —
and the hundreds and sometimes
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half mile of the hike reeks of dead
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echoes through the narrow gorge.
Carcasses litter the rocky shore and
visitors can watch salmon spawn
with unrivaled reliability and ease
of viewing.
But we’re talking about back-
packing here. Even lugging the
extra weight, the two-mile climb
up to Lower and Upper Punchbowl
Falls is mild. The view, however,
is astounding. Still, they are just
two of innumerable waterfalls you
encounter on the trail. And yet
for a majority of hikers this is the
turn-around point. Blast through
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considerably.
A word about the trail: It was
built in the early 1900s and was
among the earliest attempts at
preserving some of the wildness
of the Gorge. In some of the most
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dynamite was used to blast a
clear, safe passage through what
had been vertical basalt cliffs. In
some of the narrowest sections,
cable lines have been built into
the walls to provide stability. Yet
it can be dangerous. There have
been multiple deaths on the trail in
the last decade, most often people
jumping and falling off the cliffs
above Punchbowl Falls.
There are too many waterfalls to
count and name along the journey:
Metlako Falls drops more than 100
feet, Loowit Falls falls from what
Staff photo by Tim Trainor
From around a moss-covered bend, Upper Punchbowl Falls can be seen from the bed of Eagle Creek. The trail passes by dozens of
spectacular waterfalls and offers an excellent backcountry experience in the fall.
How to get there:
The only way to access the trailhead is to take the Eagle Creek
exit off eastbound Interstate 84.
To get there from Eastern Oregon you’ll have to drive past, exit at
Bonneville Dam and turn back in the opposite direction. You can’t
miss the trailhead. The parking lot is located just upstream of the
fish hatchery, almost at the end of the freeway ramp.
seems like the center of a rock into
a pool below. There’s also Skoon-
ichuck, Grand Union, Twister and
Sevenmile Falls.
And then there’s the jaw-drop-
ping Tunnel Falls, the highest on
Eagle Creek.
Located 6.6 miles from the
trailhead, it plunges 130 feet into
a small bowl at the bottom of a
horseshoe-shaped basalt amphi-
theater. And the treat for hikers
and backpackers is that the Eagle
Creek Trail passes behind the falls,
through a tunnel blasted into the
Staff photo by Tim Trainor
Staff photo by Tim Trainor
Eagle Creek drops out of
multiple waterfalls before it
tightens into a deep, slow gorge
beneath High Bridge, along the
Eagle Creek Trail.
The Eagle Creek Trail snakes
behind 130-foot Tunnel Falls,
through a tunnel blasted out
more than a century ago. But
tread carefully — the trail is wet
cliff about halfway up (or down,
depending on your outlook on life
and waterfalls).
The trail is extremely narrow
and slick, so take advantage of the
cable rails where available. But
don’t miss the opportunity to hold
out your hand and feel the spray of
mid-air waterfall, and peer down
over your toes at the pool below.
Tunnel Falls is a good goal
for a day hike. Hikers could
bring lunch, eat it at the base of
the falls and make it back to the
car with daylight to spare. But
quickly upstream from Tunnel,
more waterfalls abound and you
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opportunities for perfect stream-
side camping and the sound of
rushing water to put you to sleep.
The Seven and a Half Mile
Campground is a mix of regulated
and less-regulated campsites near
the creek. Get there on a summer
Saturday, and it may be slim pick-
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place to lay a tent. But in autumn,
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straight-outta-paradise campsite
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perfect place to dip your toes, start
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and spend the night.
In the morning, depending
on how much time you can get
off work, you can continue your
journey upstream.
This is the Columbia Gorge, and
there are plenty of other options
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Lake, which requires a more
serious climb. For multi-day expe-
riences, the classic Eagle-Benson
or Ruckel Ridge loop hikes are
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Staff photo by Tim Trainor
In this photo taken Oct. 24, leaves begin to turn on Eagle Creek.
Crowds along the busy trail thin out in the shoulder season, but
the scenery improves. That makes it a good time to visit.
oft-recommended, or you can hike
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Or you can head back down the
way you came, noticing stunning
waterfalls you missed on the way
up. Eagle Creek is like that. Stun-
ning vistas and landscapes that
would knock your socks off most
places have a hard time sticking
out here, where every step is a
stunner.
———
Tim Trainor is an avid back-
packer. Have a hike he should
check out, or an outdoor adventure
story you’d like to tell? Email him
at ttrainor@eastoregonian.com.
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