Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The waterfalls still flow, trees still shade the trail, and people have already shown up in droves to hike the Wahclella Falls Trail, only two days after officials reopened it to the public.



The popular hiking trail in the Columbia River Gorge closed in September 2017, as the Eagle Creek fire ravaged the area. After several seasons of trail work, the U.S. Forest Service reopened the trail Monday, allowing hikers to make the 2.4-mile trek from the Wahclella Falls Trailhead and back, glimpsing the 127-foot, two-tier waterfall at the end.



The small trailhead parking lot was nearly full Wednesday morning, as hikers and photographers made their way back to the falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Wahclella Falls cascades into a pool at the end of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A footbridge leads over Tanner Creek.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A charred trunk stands on the side of the trail.

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There is some noticeable fire damage on the trail – charred trunks, now common in the Columbia Gorge – but the forest looks otherwise healthy, relatively lush with foliage and moss. The bigger damage on the Wahclella Falls Trail appears to be from landslides, requiring trail crews to make extensive repairs.



In 2018, a crew had to remove rocks as big as basketballs that were falling from slopes above the trail, forest officials said. By Spring 2019, landslides and rockfall had further damaged the trail, requiring more work to clear and stabilize it.



The Wahclella Falls Trail joins a list of popular hiking trails that have reopened in the wake of the fire – including the Angel's Rest and Wahkeena trails. But several remain closed, including the iconic Eagle Creek Trail where the 48,000-acre fire began.



Even when trails are rehabilitated and reopened, danger to hikers can remain. The hills of the Columbia River Gorge are notoriously unstable, bringing the threat of landslides every winter and spring. Red signs newly posted on the trail warn hikers of the dangers.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The morning sun shines on cliffs overlooking the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A photographer gets pictures of Wahclella Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Boulders are used as a retaining wall at a portion of the trail damaged by landslide

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The Wahclella Falls Trail winds along Tanner Creek, which empties into the Columbia River near the Bonneville Dam. Several footbridges cross over the creek, one passing right beside Munra Falls, a 68-foot waterfall that cascades down the side of a sloping rock wall.



The trail ends at Wahclella Falls, which plunges into a shallow pool surrounded by boulders and fallen logs. A quick climb leads up to a rock ledge that's popular among photographers, but a fence blocks hikers from trespassing farther up the slope.



As the forest service continues to repair and reopen burned trails, it's refreshing to find one in good shape.



Unlike other, more severely burned trails in the Columbia River Gorge, the Wahclella Falls Trail remains lush and vibrant. There's still clear evidence of fire on blackened trunks, but the greenery found in the brush and trees almost makes it feel like the Eagle Creek fire never came through at all.



SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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Wahclella Falls: You've Never Seen Oregon Like This

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Morning light reflects in the shallows of Tanner Creek.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A footbridge leads to Wahclella Falls at the end of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Wahclella Falls cascades into a pool at the end of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A sign warns hikers of a closed ledge at the end of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A footbridge leads past Munra Falls near the start of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Foliage shades the trail near Wahclella Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A footbridge leads over Tanner Creek.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A charred trunk stands on the side of the trail.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A new warning sign is posted at the Wahclella Falls Trailhead.

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