Eagle Creek waterfalls facts for kids

Punch Bowl Falls from the upper viewpoint

Eagle Creek is a small river in Oregon, USA. It flows into the big Columbia River. Eagle Creek is special because it carves a deep, narrow canyon as it drops over 3,200 feet (about 975 meters) towards the Columbia River Gorge. This area is famous for having 13 waterfalls packed into just 5 miles (about 8 kilometers)! Eight of these waterfalls are on Eagle Creek itself or its East Fork, and five more are on smaller streams that flow into it.

The tallest waterfall on Eagle Creek is Twister Falls, which is a unique series of drops totaling 140 feet (about 43 meters). The highest waterfall on a smaller stream flowing into Eagle Creek is Wauna Falls, which drops 150 feet (about 46 meters).

Let's explore the waterfalls, starting from the ones closest to the Columbia River and moving upstream.

Waterfalls on Eagle Creek and East Fork

Metlako Falls: The Salmon Goddess Waterfall

Metlako Falls is named after an old Indian goddess of salmon. This waterfall is 82 feet (about 25 meters) tall and looks like a "punchbowl" waterfall, where the water shoots out powerfully into a narrow canyon. Some people have measured Metlako Falls to be even taller, up to 150 feet (about 46 meters)! Even though it's very tall, brave kayakers have managed to go over it.

Lower Punch Bowl Falls: The Smaller Sibling

Lower Punch Bowl Falls is a smaller waterfall located just before the more famous Punch Bowl Falls. It's about 12 feet (about 4 meters) high and 30 feet (about 9 meters) wide. Many photographers like to capture its beauty, but the main Punch Bowl Falls is even more popular.

Punch Bowl Falls: The Famous One

Punch Bowl Falls is a very popular waterfall that is 33 feet (about 10 meters) tall. It gets its name because the water rushes through a narrow channel, only about 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) wide, and then shoots into a natural bowl-shaped area, just like water pouring into a punch bowl! This waterfall was so unique that it helped create the "punchbowl" type of waterfall classification.

Skoonichuk Falls: The Evil Spirit Waterfall

Skoonichuk Falls is named after a Chinook Indian word meaning evil spirit. This 55-foot (about 17-meter) waterfall is about 1.5 miles (about 2.4 kilometers) upstream from Punch Bowl Falls. It has two main drops, one 35 feet (about 11 meters) and another 15 feet (about 5 meters), with smaller cascades above and below. It's often missed by visitors.

Grand Union Falls: Hidden Beauty

Grand Union Falls, also known as Grand Junction Falls or Blue Grouse Falls, is a waterfall on Eagle Creek that's often overlooked. It's found just before the famous Tunnel Falls. This waterfall drops about 45 feet (about 14 meters) into a clear pool. The cliffs it flows over are made of basalt rock, which is very common in the Columbia River Gorge area.

Tunnel Falls: Walk Behind the Water

Tunnel Falls is a stunning waterfall on the East Fork Eagle Creek. It plunges 130 feet (about 40 meters) into a narrow bowl. What makes it famous is that the Eagle Creek Trail actually goes behind the waterfall! Hikers walk through a narrow tunnel carved into the cliff, about 60 feet (about 18 meters) above the stream. This tunnel is how the waterfall got its name.

Twister Falls: The Crisscross Cascade

Twister Falls is a truly unique series of drops on Eagle Creek, totaling about 140 feet (about 43 meters) in height. It starts with a small plunge, then cascades over bumpy rocks. Then, the water comes together and is forced through two narrow channels over a 50-foot (about 15-meter) cliff. This creates two streams of water that actually cross over each other, which is why it's called "Twister"! It ends with an 80-foot (about 24-meter) plunge into a large pool. It's also known by other names like Crisscross Falls and Bowtie Falls.

Sevenmile Falls: The Upper Waterfall

Sevenmile Falls is the highest major waterfall known along Eagle Creek. It looks very similar to Grand Union Falls. This waterfall drops 40 feet (about 12 meters) over basalt rock into a small pool. It was named because it's located near the 7-mile (about 11-kilometer) mark of Eagle Creek. It's also called Upper Eagle Creek Falls.

Waterfalls on Tributary Streams

Wauna Falls: The Hidden Gem

Wauna Falls is a hidden waterfall on a small, unnamed stream that flows into Eagle Creek. It's located downstream from Metlako Falls. This waterfall is hard to see because of all the trees, but it cascades down the canyon wall in 5 sections, dropping a total of 150 feet (about 46 meters). Its tallest single drop is 50 feet (about 15 meters).

Sorenson Falls: Mostly Hidden

Sorenson Falls is a waterfall near Metlako Falls, dropping about 100 feet (about 30 meters) into the canyon. Unfortunately, most of this waterfall is hidden by trees and can't be seen clearly from the Eagle Creek trail.

Loowit Falls: The Old Woman's Waterfall

Loowit Falls is located just downstream from Skoonichuk Falls and drops about 60 feet (about 18 meters). It has one main drop into a perfectly round pool before flowing into Eagle Creek. Loowit Falls is named after Loowit, an old woman from local Native American stories. She tended an eternal fire on the Bridge of the Gods and was said to have turned into Mount St. Helens when she died.

Tenas Falls: The Small Waterfall

Tenas Falls is a small waterfall on an unnamed stream that joins Eagle Creek just above Skoonichuk Falls. It drops about 25 feet (about 8 meters) down a small ledge in two sections. Tenas Falls gets its name from a Chinookan word meaning "small".

Wy'east Falls: Mount Hood's Name

Wy'east Falls is a 140-foot (about 43-meter) plunge waterfall on a small stream that flows into Eagle Creek. Like many waterfalls in this area, it drops over the basalt rock formations of the Columbia River Gorge. The falls is named after Wy'east, which is the Native American name for Mount Hood.

How to Visit the Waterfalls

The Eagle Creek Trail

All these amazing waterfalls along Eagle Creek can be reached by hiking on the Eagle Creek Trail. This trail is very cleverly built and follows Eagle Creek upstream from the Historic Columbia River Highway. Along the way, you'll find several campsites. The trail leads about 1.5 miles (about 2.4 kilometers) to Punch Bowl Falls and continues for another 7.5 miles (about 12 kilometers) to Tunnel Falls.