Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

Hikers arrive at Wahkeena Falls in the Columbia River Gorge.

What is it about a waterfall that we love? Is it the sound, that dull roar that echoes off cliffs and canyon walls? Or is it the cascading water itself, still flowing but frozen in time?

Whatever the reason, the Pacific Northwest remains one of the best places in the world to see waterfalls. Our dramatic geology combined with reliably wet seasons means there are hundreds to be found around the region.

These dozen waterfall hikes around Portland are just a start, but they represent some seriously beautiful places, from the Columbia River Gorge to Silver Falls State Park and beyond. You can drive farther, explore deeper into the Northwest to find more, but these hikes show just how easy it can be to get out and experience the mysterious pull of falling water.

To me, a waterfall is less of a geographic wonder and more of a moment in time: a stream suddenly unbound from its banks, cast off into the air. And really, we never look at the same falls twice – every second they change. Maybe we like waterfalls because they reflect something within ourselves, because they show both the timeless and the fleeting at once.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

1. MULTNOMAH-WAHKEENA LOOP

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 4.9 miles

Starting point: Multnomah Falls



Oregon's tallest waterfall (620-foot Multnomah Falls) is just the beginning. Hike to the upper viewpoint and keep going to complete the Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop Hike, where you'll find Wiesendanger Falls, Dutchman Falls, Ecola Falls, Fairy Falls and Wahkeena Falls at the other end.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

2. TRAIL OF TEN FALLS

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 7.3 miles

Starting point: South Falls Day-Use Area



The marquee hike at Silver Falls State Park is one of Oregon's very best. True to its name, the Trail of Ten Falls leads past each of the park's ten waterfalls, from the towering South Falls to tiny Drake Falls.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

3. ABIQUA FALLS

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: .8 miles

Starting point: Abiqua Falls Trailhead



A bumpy drive leads to a short hike over to Abiqua Falls, one of the several waterfalls found just outside Silver Falls State Park. The hike is easy except for a single steep slope that leads down to the creek leading up to the waterfall. A rope is there to help you down and back up, but it requires a bit of caution.

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Courtesy of U.S. Forest Service

4. RAMONA FALLS

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 7.1 miles

Starting point: Ramona Falls Trailhead



Ramona Falls is a beautiful waterfall on the west side of Mount Hood, though access has gotten trickier in recent years. After losing two footbridges across the Sandy River on the trail, the U.S. Forest Service decided not to build another. That means hikers either need to ford the river or try to cross on fallen logs. Because of that, it's best to do this hike later in the summer, when the river is low. DO NOT try to cross when the river is running fast or high.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

5. BUTTE CREEK FALLS

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 1 mile

Starting point: Butte Creek Falls Trailhead



An easy, one-mile loop hike leads to Upper Butte Creek Falls and Lower Butte Creek Falls, found near Silver Falls State Park. The former is easily accessible on creek level, while the latter is best seen from the trail on cliffs above. It is possible to climb down the cliffs to Lower Butte Creek Falls, but a fall would mean serious injury.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

6. SHELLBURG FALLS

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 2.8 miles

Starting point: Shellburg Falls Trailhead



An easy out-and-back hike leads to beautiful Shellburg Falls, where the trail leads under the cliffs behind the waterfall. Right where the trail splits toward the waterfall, it crosses a bridge directly above Lower Shellburg Falls, another lovely plunge that can be seen through the trees at a viewpoint on the other side.

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Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

7. STARVATION CREEK

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 2.4 miles

Starting point: Starvation Creek State Park



Follow a newly-built segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail to find views of four waterfalls: Starvation Creek Falls, Cabin Creek Falls, Hole-in-the-Wall Falls and Lancaster Falls. The paved pathway is designed for both hikers and cyclists, with new bridges and viewpoints in the forest along Interstate 84. It runs 1.2 miles west of the parking lot at Starvation Creek past the waterfalls. In summer 2019, another stretch of the trail will open, leading farther west to Wyeth State Park.

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Jamie Francis/The Oregonian

8. FALLS CREEK FALLS

Difficulty: Moderate

Distance: 6.2 miles

Starting point: Falls Creek Falls Lower Trailhead



Cross into Washington and head up to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to find Falls Creek Falls, a gorgeous 355-foot, three-tiered waterfall. From the lower trailhead, you can do a moderate loop hike that climbs 1,150 feet in elevation through a mature forest of cedar and fir. Several side trails offer paths to other views of the waterfall, but they require extreme caution on the cliffs and slippery rocks.

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Randy L. Rasmussen/The Oregonian

9. LATOURELL FALLS

Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 2.4 miles

Starting point: Latourell Falls Trailhead



It's a short walk to get a look at Latourell Falls, a 224-foot waterfall that's right off the Historic Columbia River Highway, but a 2.4-mile loop hike will also take you to Upper Latourell Falls, through a forest and by a picnic area, all part of Guy W. Talbot State Park.

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*TEMPORARILY CLOSED TRAILS*

It's been more than a year since the Eagle Creek fire tore through the Columbia River Gorge, but there are still several iconic waterfall trails there that remain closed. The following three hikes offer access to spectacular waterfalls, but for now they're closed until forest rangers and trail crews deem them safe. We'll update this post when they reopen. Here's a list and map of current closures.

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Roger Jensen/The Oregonian

10. EAGLE CREEK TRAIL

The devastating Eagle Creek fire started on the Eagle Creek Trail, and so far the public hasn't been able to see the damage. The trail has been a popular destination for generations, running past several beautiful waterfalls – Punch Bowl Falls and Tunnel Falls are the best known – up into the hills of the Columbia Gorge. The area was already prone to severe landslides (in 2017, the Metlako Falls viewpoint collapsed) so there's no telling what the trail will look like in the wake of the fire.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

11. WAHCLELLA FALLS

An easy, two-mile hike leads to gorgeous Wahclella Falls, the trail also passing beside Munra Falls as it fans down a sloping rock wall. But the state of the trail is still unknown, as it remains closed due to damage from the Eagle Creek fire.

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Terry Richard/The Oregonian

12. MCCORD CREEK

Starting at the John B. Yeon Trailhead, easy hiking trails lead to two stunning waterfalls on McCord Creek: Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls. The state park was in the direct path of the Eagle Creek fire and is still closed to the public.

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