A few months ago we drove out to the Gorge area to hike up to Wahclella Falls. We’d been here a couple of years ago in the winter and wanted to go back. Unfortunately, during one of the storms late in Spring, a huge tree broke loose from one of the cliffs and took out part of the path. The trail was closed so we headed to other areas of the Gorge to explore.
This time we checked the web site for the trail and it said it was open. We had a wet winter, but haven’t seen any rain for about 2 months now. It’s also been in the high 90s for most of the last several weeks so we weren’t sure how much water would be coming down the falls.
The trail is a roughly 2-mile loop out to the falls and back. The last time we walked the trail it was wet and muddy in places, but this time it was dry. It only took us about 45 minutes to make it to the falls with several stops along the way for photos and the girls to take breaks.
Tanner Creek, which runs alongside the trail, had water in it, but it seemed to be running pretty low. Once we got the falls there was a lot more water coming down, but not like what we saw the first time. This time you could only feel a small amount of mist standing at the edge of the pool. It definitely made taking photos easier.
We hung out at the falls for about an hour or so before deciding to make our way back to the car. If you’re looking for an easy hike with a good payoff at the end we recommend hiking this trail. I’m sure we’ll be back again.
