Overview

• Location: Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Hood River County (Eagle Creek canyon)

• Waterfall Type: Punchbowl

• Height: ~25 feet (8 m)

• Trail Distance: ~3.8 miles round-trip from Eagle Creek Trailhead (I-84 Exit 41)

• Difficulty: Medium

• Best Time to Visit: Spring through fall; check fire recovery status

History & Background

Lower Punch Bowl Falls is the smaller 25-foot downstream counterpart to the famous 33-foot Punch Bowl Falls on Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. While Punch Bowl Falls above receives most of the attention and photography on the Eagle Creek Trail, Lower Punch Bowl Falls has its own appeal — it is one of the few spots on the trail where visitors can actually get down to creek level, wading across a shallow bedrock shelf to view both falls from the water. The Eagle Creek Trail, built in 1915 and blasted from sheer basalt cliffs with dynamite by early trail crews, is one of the most celebrated hiking corridors in the Pacific Northwest. The 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, started by a teenage hiker throwing fireworks, burned extensively through this canyon and the trail has been progressively reopened as recovery and restoration work continues.

Geology

Lower Punch Bowl Falls drops 25 feet into a bedrock shelf on Eagle Creek at approximately 200 feet elevation in the Columbia River Gorge. Both Lower Punch Bowl and Punch Bowl Falls above reflect the punchbowl geology of Eagle Creek — the creek is forced through narrow basalt channels by sheer cliff walls and shoots at high velocity into natural amphitheaters carved from the same rock. The canyon walls here are composed of both Columbia River Basalt (the later massive lava flows) and the older Eagle Creek Formation (conglomerates and breccia deposited by the ancient Columbia River), both visible in the cliff exposures along the trail.

Directions & Access

• Nearest City: Cascade Locks, OR (~3 miles west); Portland, OR (~40 miles west)

• Trail Information:

  • From Eagle Creek Trailhead (I-84 Exit 41), hike approximately 1.9 miles on the Eagle Creek Trail; at a junction, a 0.2-mile side trail descends to Lower Punch Bowl Falls and the bedrock shelf at creek level

  • Check current Eagle Creek Trail conditions before visiting — the trail has been subject to closures and reopening phases since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire; Northwest Forest Pass or $5 day-use fee required

• Parking:

  • Eagle Creek Trailhead parking lot; Northwest Forest Pass required; lot fills quickly on summer weekends — overflow lot near the fish hatchery available

• Accessibility:

  • Not wheelchair accessible; the descent to the creek level requires navigating rocks and potentially wading

Best Time to Visit

• Spring: Best flows; both punchbowl falls at maximum power; the recovery vegetation in the canyon is vivid green

• Summer: Lower flows; the bedrock shelf at creek level is ideal for wading and cooling off; very popular

• Fall: Flows moderate; excellent fall color in the recovering canyon; fewer crowds than summer

• Winter: Trail generally accessible but check conditions; ice possible on cliff sections

Nearby Attractions

• Punch Bowl Falls (0.2 miles upstream)

• Metlako Falls (~1.5 miles from trailhead)

• Loowit Falls (~3 miles)

• Tunnel Falls (~6 miles)

• Cascade Locks

References

• Links:

  • Friends of the Columbia Gorge – Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls

  • Columbia River Gorge NSA – USFS

• Books:

  • Oregon Waterfalls by Greg Plumb

  • Waterfall Lover's Guide: Pacific Northwest