Mileage: 4.6 miles RT
Elevation Gain/Highest: 770ft/984ft
Map: Green Trails Columbia River Gorge West
Favorite Eats After Hike: Crush Cider, Walking Man Brewery, Backwoods Brewery, Thunder Island Brewing, Cascade Locks Ale House, Farm Stand Natural Foods, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My Hikes:
3/29/2025
I will be writing up a post on the blog but in the mean time you can read my trip report here.
4/28/2017
It has been 3 years since I started working on the Oregon section of the Pacific Crest Trail and I hiked down from the Benson Plateau and back to the Eagle Creek trailhead where my car awaited me from a loop hike. When I crossed the bridge over Dry Creek, I had no idea if I had taken a left at the abandoned road alongside the creek I would have encountered this lovely waterfall.
I was in Cascade Locks for a trail skills college and had time in the evening for a hike. Someone on Facebook suggested Dry Creek Falls and because it started in town I figured it would be perfect to do before dinner.
I parked at the Bridge of Gods trailhead a little before 5pm, crossed the road to an unmarked trail and headed up. The trail shortly comes to Moody St and passes under I-84. I knew I was on the right track when saw the signs for the PCT.
I followed these up the gravel road and in a hundred feet or so I came to the junction with the Gorge Trail. I remembered standing here and looking down the road to Cascade Locks when I took the Gorge Trail to my car instead of walking into town like most PCT thruhikers do.
The Pacific Crest Trail is wide and well maintained here (by my friend Roberta Cobb in the Mt. Hood chapter) and I got to admire her care as I strolled along this easy graded path up the official PCT (most hikers take the Eagle Creek Trail and skip the original route). Although there were a few muddy spots, I spent most of my time in tranquil repose with the spring flowers and sunlight drifting through the tall trees. My favorites were the Bleeding Hearts!
At 2.02 miles in, I came to the junction with the Dry Creek road and could see the bridge over the creek in front of me.I turned right and hiked up the .3 miles to a large pullout area with the falls just off to the left arriving in about an hour from when I started (I ran into a long distance hiker I knew on the way up and stopped to chat for a bit).
The waterfall spills out of a basalt rock cleft in a towering wall with bright green moss clinging to the sides. The roar echoed and the spray was lit up in the sun. I could see why this hike was recommended and I only saw a few people on my hike in compared to all the folks you pass on Eagle Creek!
With the place to myself, I wondered a bit to the side and up closer to the falls. It was possible to see that folks like to climb up and on top of the wall but the path was loose and muddy and I had dinner waiting for me back at the marina. I was back to my car by 6:40pm.
I only passed a few more people on my way out, glad I checked out this little gem so close to town!
Directions: From Portland, drive east on I-84 to exit 44 for Cascade Locks. From Hood River, drive east to exit 44. Turn right on Wa Na Pa St, drive past the road marked for the Bridge of the Gods and then turn right onto SW Wasco St and another right onto SW Moody Ave. Just under the overpass, the road bends to the left for SW Undine St, stay right onto Harvey Road. Parking is on the right with room for about 22 cars and a seasonal privy. For the smaller Bridge of The Gods trailhead with room for 9 cars, turn right onto the access road for the Bridge of the Gods towards Stevenson and the parking is on the right before the bridge with a seasonal privy.
A Northwest Forest pass is required and there is a bathroom and picnic tables.
For more hikes in the area, visit my Southwest Washington Columbia River Gorge page.
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Need some eating out suggestions when friends want to stop after a hike? I have a Pacific Northwest Eating Guide here.
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