After visiting the Columbia River Gorge with a out-of-town friend recently, I had promised myself, to not wait as long before going back again. Well, I am happy to report that I kept my promise to myself. Added bonus, my husband came along. It turned out be be a perfect outing, sunny and warm. In addition, to it being a weekday, we didn’t encounter too many people. This time, I drove a slightly different route. We exited Highway 84 in Corbett and headed east on the historical Columbia River Highway. This drive is spectacular, with the narrow road winding through deep green moss covered forests, along small rivers and up to a look-out point. It was a clear day, some clouds in the sky and we could see the gorge in all its glory.

Looking east from Crown Point

Next we stopped at the Vista House, perched high on the bluffs towering over the mighty Columbia River.

Vista House at Crown Point

Inside the Vista House

A small stairway leads up to the balcony, where one can go outside and take in the view.

Looking west towards Portland

A short drive down the mountain, we stopped at Latourell Waterfalls. This one, I had never stopped at before. After parking, we headed straight for the trail. Latourell Falls has a lower and upper waterfall section.

Latourell Falls

The hiking trail along the swift flowing Latourell creek, meandered up the mountain, through moss and lichen covered woods. At one point, I heard a beautiful bird song, with the rushing creek adding the background music. I think it was a Pacific wren. 

On we went, and finally arrived at the upper falls. We could hear the thunderous noise of the water was spilling forcefully over the edge. Getting closer, the misty spray momentarily cooled us off.

Instead of sticking to Plan A and go back the way we came, we decided to hike the trail loop in its entirety. The path however, at some point started to turn into an unfamiliar direction. We consulted with a fellow hiker and her giant mastiff dog, about the trail. We all decided to turn around and resort back to Plan A (by now of course a much longer hike).

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

By the time we got back to the car, it was too late for us to stop at another waterfall. I suppose,  we’ll have to go back out there again.

Lesson learned: Take a close look at the map of the trail to avoid getting lost or having to backtrack! And bring some water, even for a short hike!

Map of the Columbia Gorge and Mount Hood Loop