38 min
Overview
Latourell Falls is the closest of the major Columbia River Gorge waterfalls to Portland, and it's also one of the most photogenic. A tall single-plunge waterfall of 224 feet, it spills over the lip of an undercut amphitheater of tall pillars of columnar basalt. An eye-catching splash of chartreuse-colored golden cobblestone lichen (Pleopsidium flavum) adorns the upper amphitheater and contrasts with the dark basalt walls. You can view these lower falls from a point just above the trailhead, but the loop hike here takes you up Latourell Creek to see two-tiered Upper Latourell Falls before winding down to the state park picnic area below the highway. Then you can hike up under the highway bridge to the base of Latourell Falls and admire the plunge and basalt columns from below. Between them, the two waterfalls and Latourell Creek flow over three different flows of the Columbia River Basalts, which backfilled this valley between 15.5 and 14 million years ago. The waterfalls are beautiful in all seasons, but in the summer, the water flow is very low, creating near misty conditions; in the winter, the splash can freeze dangerously across the trail. The falls are named after Joseph Latourell, a 19th century settler of the area who became postmaster of the Rooster Rock Post Office in 1887. The Latourell family had a house, now abandoned but still standing, near the current state park picnic area. The land around Latourell Falls was donated by Guy W. Talbot (and the state park named after him) in 1929. This parcel is adjacent to the George W. Joseph State Natural Area, where you'll encounter Upper Latourell Falls. Beginning from the Latourell Falls Trailhead, follow the paved viewpoint trail up to the Latourell Falls Viewpoint. From the viewpoint, a wide dirt path leads makes two short switchbacks up under cedars and mossy maples. Pass above a devil's club thicket where seeps trickle onto the trail tread. Look for a side view of Latourell Falls, particularly in the winter when the alders and maples have lost their l
Trail Stats
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190 m
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Photos
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