Eagle Creek
**IMPORTANT NOTE**
Notice the trail in the picture. This trail was blasted
out of the rock wall. It is very narrow with a long
drop if you fall. I do not recommend you bring small
children or dogs on this hike.
This hike is challenging due to the length of the
hike. But it is not steep.
A NW Forest Pass is required to park at the trial
head.
The trail follows Eagle Creek and passes Metlako
Falls, Punchbowl Falls, and Loowit Falls before
reaching Tunnel Falls. I suggest starting early in
the morning and taking your time on this hike. You
will enjoy it.
Getting There: From
Portland, take
Interstate 84 to Eagle
Creek exit 41, turn
right and keep right
along the creek for a
mile to the road's end.
Because the Eagle
Creek exit is only
accessible from the
west, travelers from
Hood River have to
take Bonneville Dam
exit 40 and double
back on the freeway
for a mile. The trail is
so popular the parking
lot fills by 10 am on
sunny weekends,
leaving latecomers to
park half a mile away.
History: Built in the 1910s to
accompany the opening of the
Columbia River Highway, the
Eagle Creek Trail was blasted
out the cliffs with dynamite by
Italian engineers. The area
above the 800-foot-elevation
mark was officially designated
Wilderness in 1984.
Click here for more history on
this hike.