Overview

• Location: Multnomah County, Columbia River Gorge (John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor)

• Waterfall Type: Plunge

• Height: ~213 feet (65 m)

• Trail Distance: ~1.5 miles out-and-back from John B. Yeon Trailhead (260 ft elevation gain)

• Difficulty: Medium

• Best Time to Visit: Year-round; most powerful in late winter and spring

History & Background

Elowah Falls is one of the most spectacular and underrated waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, plunging 213 feet into a dramatic amphitheater of layered basalt draped in brilliant chartreuse lichen. Originally called Pierce Falls, it was renamed McCord Creek Falls during construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway. In 1915, the Mazamas mountaineering club successfully petitioned to rename it Elowah — a word of unknown meaning, possibly derived from a local Indigenous language. The falls sit within John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor, named for pioneer lumberman and Multnomah County Roadmaster John B. Yeon (1865–1928), who supervised initial construction of the Columbia River Highway and funded portions of it personally. Historic cast-iron and wooden pipe remnants along the trail are relics of a water flume built to supply the Crown Willamette Paper Company mill at Warrendale on the Columbia River. The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire burned portions of the surrounding forest, but the falls and core trail remain accessible.

Geology

Elowah Falls is formed as McCord Creek is forced into a narrow basalt channel by sheer cliffs, then shoots at high velocity into a natural amphitheater carved from the Columbia River Basalt. The surrounding cliffs are covered by approximately 80% lichen and moss cover — one of the most vivid lichen displays in the Gorge. The trail cuts through the Eagle Creek Formation, a thick band of breccia and conglomerate deposited before the Columbia River Basalt flows 17–14 million years ago. A massive house-sized boulder in the creek arrived only a few decades ago, a reminder that erosion in the Gorge is ongoing.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Cascade Locks, OR (~4 miles east); Portland, OR (~35 miles west)

• Trail Information:

  • From John B. Yeon Trailhead (I-84 Exit 35 eastbound, or Exit 37 westbound), follow Gorge Trail #400; keep left at the first junction at 0.3 miles (right fork goes to Upper McCord Creek Falls), then descend via switchbacks to the base of Elowah Falls

  • For a longer hike, combine with Upper McCord Creek Falls via the right fork from the junction — the full loop is approximately 3 miles with an aerial view from 400 feet above the canyon; no fee or pass required

• Parking:

  • John B. Yeon State Park parking area off I-84 Frontage Road; no fee; street parking also available nearby; no dogs on this trail segment

• Accessibility:

  • Not wheelchair accessible; moderate elevation change on natural surfaces with switchbacks

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Peak flows and maximum lichen vibrancy; the amphitheater is one of the most photogenic scenes in the Gorge; gorge wildflowers bloom in April–May

• Summer: Reduced flow but falls remain active year-round; shaded trail offers cool conditions on hot days

• Fall: Flows return with October rains; bigleaf maple foliage in the canyon; quieter than spring

• Winter: High flows and dramatic atmosphere; generally accessible year-round; icy conditions possible near falls spray zone

Nearby Attractions

• Upper McCord Creek Falls (~1.5 miles from same trailhead)

• Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery (~3 miles east)

• Bridge of the Gods (Cascade Locks)

• Wahclella Falls (~4 miles east)

• Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail

References

• Links:

  • Oregon State Parks – John B. Yeon State Scenic Corridor

  • Friends of the Columbia Gorge – Elowah Falls

  • Northwest Waterfall Survey – Elowah Falls

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest