Eagle Creek to Punch Bowl Falls Hike

Overview

Be careful with dogs or small children on the Eagle Creek Trail. There is a steep cliff to one side of the trail in several sections. Dogs must be on a leash at all times. The Eagle Creek to Punch Bowl Falls hike is one of the shorter options for taking in the beauty of the Columbia River Gorge and perhaps is the most popular, taking in three of the 10 major waterfalls to be seen along the creek and its tributaries. Note that the name of the waterfall is correctly spelled as two words, i.e. "Punch Bowl" not "Punchbowl." The Eagle Creek Trail is the quintessential hike in the Columbia River Gorge, boasting several spectacular waterfalls, tall basalt cliffs, and the lush temperate rain forests that so characterize the Pacific Northwest. The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire has scarred the landscape, however, although the trail, reopened in 2021 after much painstaking labor by the PCTA (Pacific Crest Trail Association), is fully intact. That lush forest canopy has completely burned off in places, and an understory of sun-loving shrubbery has grown up along much of the lower section of the trail. The blackened snags and scorched trunks of conifers stand out on the steep hillsides above the Eagle Creek gorge. Maybe as impressive as the trail itself is the story of how it was built. It was begun in 1915 as part of the work on the Historic Columbia River Highway. The East Side Progressive Businessman's Club of Portland was behind some of the funding, with the total construction cost put at $18,600. In many sections, workers used dynamite to blast the trail out of cliff faces. The Forest Service's first full-service campground was established where the fish hatchery now is, and soon thousands of people could enjoy areas that were impossible to traverse otherwise. The original trail has remained nearly unchanged to this day although some work to widen the route was accomplished by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935. Starting at the trailhead, pass a weir, and then follow the wide well-groomed trail above the creek for

Trail Stats

Photos

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