Located about a hundred miles east of Portland is a magical place called White River Falls State Park. From Portland, you can take the freeway through the Columbia River Gorge or the highway that snakes up and around Mt. Hood. Once you’re at the park, you’ll notice it’s not your typical Oregon terrain.
View from the observation area
The area felt a little more like New Mexico or Northern Nevada to me than Oregon, and I’m excited if this i the gateway to the eastern part of the state where the desert is located.
Not your typical Oregon terrain
The park has two parking lots, one is only open seasonally. There are bathrooms and a little picnic area. The highlight, obviously, is the viewpoint to see the main falls area. There’s a huge area with a fence to see the roaring waterfall.
The trail down
Take the trail, and follow it down to into the canyon, and you’ll see the falls from a new angle with a new waterfall added in. Keep going, along the river, and you’ll see the lower falls and subsequent rapids downstream. Take the walk and sit by the edge of the river. Take in the sounds and sights.
A View of Celestial Falls (with the main falls in the background) at about 1/3 of the way down the trail
I sat by the river for a while, feeling the spray from the lower falls and listening to the water splash into the rocks. I watched how the water flowed over the edge and how the clouds moved through the sky.
The Lower Falls
The trail itself is around a mile to the lower falls and back. It’s all uphill on the way ack, and not universally accessible. If you go when the weather is warm, take plenty of water.
