Wahclella Falls

Worth the drive

Is it plungeworthy?

79feet tall

A 2-tier plunge on Tanner Creek.

Scale46/60

Documentation10/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 2 drops
Type: Tiered Plunge
Watercourse: Tanner Creek
Coordinates: 45.61781, -121.95112

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About Wahclella Falls

Wahclella Falls is a 79-foot tiered plunge in Oregon, on Tanner Creek. The water falls in 2 distinct tiers.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Wahclella Falls 7.6/10 — worth the drive. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Wahclella Falls fires out of a narrow basalt slot on Tanner Creek into a huge amphitheater — a two-stage drop of about 60 visible feet that feels three times bigger inside the bowl. Tanner Creek runs partly on spring water, so it performs in every season.

Getting there

Trailhead: Wahclella Falls Trailhead (Trail #436), I-84 Exit 40 by Bonneville Dam
Parking: Paved fee lot at the trailhead
Road: Paved
Hike: 2 mi round trip, 300 ft of climb (easy)
Heads up: Normally one of the Gorge's best easy walks. See the closure below before planning anything.

When to go

Normally year-round, with spring the showiest. In the burned Eagle Creek watershed, avoid the canyon during and right after heavy rain — flash flood and rockfall country.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: $5/day or Northwest Forest Pass / America the Beautiful (card/QR only) — once reopened
Dogs: Leashed, 6-foot max
Camping: Eagle Creek Campground, ~1 mile east
Warnings: CLOSED: the December 2025 storm took out both trail bridges and ~150 feet of tread. A Forest Order closes the trail through at least October 31, 2026, and reopening in 2026 is not expected. Don't go around the barriers — check Columbia River Gorge NSA alerts for status.

Researched from USFS — Wahclella Falls Trail #436 · Central Oregon Daily — storm damage report. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Wahclella Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.