Wahclella Falls: An Easy Hike, A Beautiful Waterfall

Oregon has so many incredible waterfalls, especially in the Columbia River Gorge.  But Wahclella Falls is certainly not a waterfall you want to miss!

This 350 foot waterfall is just 15 minutes from Multnomah Falls, and is way less crowded.  The hike to the falls is pretty easy, and the pay off of seeing this beautiful waterfall is worth every step.

So let’s get into all the details about hiking to Wahclella Falls.  We’ll discuss everything from the location, the trail stats, the tricky parking situation, and even the fees.  Let’s dive in!

Important Links

US Forest Service Website – Wahclella Falls 

Wahclella Falls Trail – AllTrails Link

Parking Lot/Trailhead

Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie – Be Prepared on the Trails

Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!

Location

Wahclella Falls is located in the Columbia River Gorge.  The trailhead is less than 15 minutes from the incredibly famous Multnomah Falls.  You could do both of these waterfalls in the same morning.  

If you’re planning on roadtripping several of the waterfalls you’ll be looking at a 1 hour drive from Portland, OR.  From other major cities, the trailhead is 4 hours south of Seattle, WA, and 3 hours north of Bend, OR.  

Fees

Like many other waterfalls in the area, Wahclella Falls is part of the Northwest Forest system and they do have a fee.  There is a $5 fee to park and enjoy the trail.  This $5 is a Day Use Pass and can be enjoyed at any northwest forest location for the remainder of the day.  You can purchase the pass in advance online, or you can scan the QR code at the trailhead when you arrive.  

On the other hand, there are 2 passes that give you FREE access to this trailhead. These passes include the America the Beautiful Pass($80) or the Annual Northwest Forest Pass ($30).  

Annual Passes

Both of the above passes are good for 12 months from the date of purchase.  The Annual Northwest Forest Pass is only good for national forests in Oregon and Washington.  And yes, the America the Beautiful Pass is more expensive, that pass is valid for national forests, national parks, national monuments, etc.  

In short, if you are only planning on adding Wahclella Falls, but no other national forests or parks, you’ll want to just pay the $5 day use fee.  If you are planning on adding in other popular national parks or forests, you’ll want to add the America the Beautiful Pass.  

Now that you know where to park and how much to pay, let’s check out the parking situation. 

Parking

One of the worst parts about hiking to Wahclella Falls is the parking situation.  The parking lot at the actual trailhead only holds 11 vehicles and it’s VERY tight getting turned around if the parking lot is full.  That closer lot can be found here. 

Now, if you aren’t one of those lucky 11 vehicles, there is an overflow parking lot.  This lot is much larger, but adds 0.4 miles both ways (0.8 miles total) to your hike if you start here.  

Essentially, if you are planning to hike to Wahclella Falls first thing in the morning, you should be able to find a spot in the closer lot.  But if it’s 9am or later, you’ll probably just want to head to the overflow lot right away.   

Trail Stats

If you are starting at the closer parking lot, the trail stats are below.  

• Distance: 2 miles (Out and Back)
• Elevation Gain: 300 feet
• Difficulty: Easy-Moderate
• Time on Trail: 30 mins – 1 hour

The trail to Wahclella Falls is a bit of a lollipop trail, meaning there is a tiny loop at the end that can be done either direction.  

The Trail

The first 0.4ish miles is pretty flat and made of a small gravel material.  This part is the easy warm up.  You’ll then pass Munra Falls, which practically runs right on the hiking trail.  

From here, the trail runs parallel to Tanner Creek, and begins to climb high above the creek.  There is a mix of dirt path and stairs that take you up the trail.  (see images below).

You’ll then come to a split in the trail and you can either go left or right, but I highly recommend going to the right.  This trail will lead you across a wooden bridge and across the creek.  Keep following the creek and you’ll finally be able to see the gorgeous waterfall!

Wahclella Falls

Just keep heading towards the waterfall until you are greeted with a gorgeous view of Wahclella Falls.  The lush moss covers the rocks around the waterfall and the pool of water glows different shades of blue.

The logs around the pool of water are from various landslides that occurred after the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.  

You’ll then loop around in front of the waterfall, and begin your loop back to the parking lot.  The trail is easy to follow back and might even be crowded depending on when you started your hike.  

Our Hike

My husband and I hiked to Wahclella Falls in July of 2026 and we were the second car in the parking lot.  We started early so we could park in the closer lot and get in and out before the crowds showed up. 

Our hike was easy and short, since it’s only a 2-ish mile trail.  The canyon we were hiking in was gorgeous and we quite enjoyed the peace and quiet of the trail.

We only saw 1 other man by the time we reached the waterfall, and he was photographing birds.  This meant we had the falls basically to ourselves and were able to get plenty of photos.

We got to enjoy the beauty of Wahclella Falls that the Columbia River Gorge is famous for.  When we had taken our photos, we began our hike back to the truck.  

Cue all the people!  

At this point the trail was getting busy and the parking lot was completely full.  We were glad to be done before all those people showed up. And someone got lucky with our close parking spot when we left. 

Other Falls in the Area

If you are in the Columbia River Gorge, you need to add a few more waterfalls to your list.  First up is the famous Multnomah Falls, which is an obvious choice.  And if you’re going to see Multnomah Falls, you should add in the Wahkeena Loop Trail. This trail takes you past 5 other beautiful waterfalls in the area.

Then there is Latourell Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, which are both less than 10 minutes from Wahclella Falls. All of these can be done in a day with proper planning.   

And just outside the Columbia River Gorge is the beautiful Tamanawas Falls.  This waterfall has a slightly more challenging hike, but is absolutely worth it.

Conclusion

Wahclella Falls is one of the Columbia River Gorge’s pristine waterfalls that you just can’t miss!  This quick trail and beautiful waterfall are worth all the frustration that is caused by the parking situation.  

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.

-Happy Hiking