Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Fallen logs cross the Larch Mountain Trail above Multnomah Falls, seen here in March, 2019.

UPDATE: As of May 29, the trails have reopened to hikers.

Hikers eager to return to fire-damaged trails around Multnomah Falls will need to wait a while longer.



Nearly a week after a rockslide shut down the popular hiking trails, officials with the U.S. Forest Service have announced the discovery of a new hazard that will keep the trails closed to the public even longer.



After the April 5 slide, which brought large rocks tumbling onto the paved pathway leading to the top of the waterfall, geologists investigated the area and discovered an unstable rock overhang above the trail. Crews will need to remove the rock before hikers are allowed back, officials said.



“This could come down any minute, or it could take 30 years to come down,” said Rachel Pawlitz, spokeswoman for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. “We’re trying to prevent people from being in a hazard area, and we’re trying to prevent people getting stuck.”

No injuries were reported in the rockslide last week, but forest service staff had to guide about a dozen hikers past the debris.

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Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

Large rocks block the trail after an April 5 rockslide on the paved pathway leading to the top of Multnomah Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

A sign warns hikers to watch for rockslides and landslides, posted on the trail that connects the parking lots of Multnomah Falls and Wahkeena Falls.

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The popular trails have frustrated hikers since the Eagle Creek fire closed the areas in September, 2017. They initially reopened to the public this past November, allowing some hikers to return to see the scars of the fire, but now the trails are cut off again.



Crews won't be able to begin removing the rock overhang until after at least a week of dry weather, Pawlitz said. Then it will take time to remove the rock and ensure there are no further hazards to hikers. The forest service offered no firm timeline for the project.



For now, the trail will be closed just beyond Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls. That cuts off access to the Larch Mountain Trail and the upper section of the Wahkeena Trail above the waterfall. When open, the two trails make up the popular Multnomah-Wahkeena loop hike.



Hikers will still be able to explore the lower part of the Wahkeena Trail, which is expected to reopen sometime Friday, April 12, Pawlitz said. The trail runs from a lower parking lot up to Wahkeena Falls, then through a small canyon past Fairy Falls. The trail will be closed about 1.5 miles from the trailhead, where it intersects with the Devil's Rest Trail.



The whole trail system bares visible scars from the Eagle Creek fire. Tree trunks are now charred and the forest is largely free of underbrush. Those conditions make the land more susceptible to rockslides and landslides, but the fire damage isn't necessarily the root cause of the current problem, Pawlitz said. The landscape usually experiences the same issues during every rainy season.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Wahkeena Trail winds through a forest badly burned by the Eagle Creek fire, found above Multnomah Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Multnomah Creek winds through forest damaged by the Eagle Creek fire above Multnomah Falls.

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Still, forest officials are issuing a clear warning to those hiking in the gorge this season, especially on trails that were affected by the fire. Bright red signs have gone up on all the trails that have reopened, warning hikers of falling rocks, trees and limbs. People are also discouraged from hiking during heavy rains and high winds.



The message from the forest service is "look up, look down," remaining aware of both falling debris and the sometimes-fragile trail itself. Officials are also encouraging people to pack essential survival gear when they hike (including water, food, extra clothing and first aid), in case a landslide leaves them stranded on the trail.



"There are definitely more landslides and rockslides going on across the landscape in general," Pawlitz said. "We are asking hikers to be more alert of these things than they have been in the past."



SEE MORE PHOTOS BELOW



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

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Hikers stop to look at Wahkeena Falls, a popular waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Wahkeena Trail winds through a forest badly burned by the Eagle Creek fire, found above Multnomah Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Fairy Falls is a small, but beautiful waterfall found on the Wahkeena Trail in the Columbia River Gorge.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Wiesendanger Falls is found on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge.