Product Description
Tanner Creek Falls
Tanner Creek Falls
Wahclella Falls is a waterfall along the Columbia Gorge in Oregon. The Columbia Highway splits around exit # 40 that leads to the Bonneville Dam. The parking and access area for Wahclella Falls is slightly down the hill and to the right of the entrance to the dam. Wahclella is at the midpoint of the well maintained trail number 436 loop that forms a 1.8-mile roundtrip. The falls are divided into upper and lower segments with a combined height of 350 ft, the upper section is not completely visible while the fully visible lower segment stands 60 feet in height as it thunders out of a narrow gorge carved through dark gray basalt. The plunge pool has a picturesque quality due to the surrounding natural walls that form a semi-circular rotunda extending from the falls to the main vantage point. As with most waterfalls, Wahclella does exhibit some seasonality of water flow. However, because Tanner Creek is sourced primarily by an underground spring, the flow is never dramatically affected by adverse weather. Wahclella Falls was named after a nearby village of Native Americans by the Mazama mountaineering club in 1915. Although Wahclella Falls is its officially recognized name, the United States Geological Survey still records the waterfall as Tanner Creek Falls. The United States Forest Service charges a fee or requires a pass for parking at the trail head.
