Part of the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness Proposal

Difficulty: easy
Distance: four miles
Elevation Gain: 300 feet
Season: spring, summer, fall*
Maps: see below

About the Hike

To take a trip into the wilds of the eastside of Mount Hood that is truly a highlight of the Mount Hood Loop, scoot off HWY 35 to visit Tamanawas Falls.  This 100 ft waterfall is less known than its rivals in the Gorge, but is equally as breathtaking.  Besides delighting in this beautiful waterfall, hikes in this area take you through lush vegetation and critical wildlife habitat.

The water that spills over Tamanawas Falls is from Cold Spring Creek; a clear, cold creek that is a tributary to the proposed Wild and Scenic East Fork Hood River.  This area, which includes nearby scenic Polallie Creek, hosts winter and summer steelhead runs.  In addition, these cold waters help keep the East Fork of the Hood River cool for the river's threatened Coho salmon.

While you're noticing the creek's ideal steelhead habitat, be sure to look up and notice the area's diverse vegetation.  The Tamanawas Falls area has remnant old-growth Pondersa Pines along with a mix of Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees.  Don't miss Tamanawas Falls in the fall, as the area's Western Larch and Cottonwood trees turn brilliant shades of yellow that contrast nicely with the area's abundant evergreen trees.  Elk enjoy the vegetation of this area, as they benefit from the old-growth forests that provide protection and a corridor to other wild areas of the forest. 

The Dirt

Oregon Wild and other conservation groups are currently working to gain Wilderness protection for the Tamanawas Falls area as part of the Lewis and Clark Mount Hood Wilderness proposal.  Wilderness protection would forever safeguard the land from logging, mining, and other development while preserving the public’s right to enjoy backcountry recreation.

How to Get There

From Hood River

From HWY 84 take exit 64 to the junction of HWYs 30 and 35 (the China Gorge restaurant is a great landmark at this intersection). Take HWY 35 south.  The turn off for Tamanawas Falls is on your right, about 1.5 miles south of Polallie Creek campground.  If you reach the Sherwood campground you have gone too far.

From Portland via Government Camp

From HWY 26 go past Government Camp and take HWY 35 (towards Hood River).  The turn off to Tamanawas Fall is on your left about a 1/4 mile past (north) of the Sherwood Campground.  If you reach Polallie Creek campground you have gone about 1.5 miles too far.

Recommended

For the easiest route to Tamanawas Falls, head north from the parking area on the East Fork Trail #650 for a 1/2 mile.  Turn left (west) on Tamanawas Falls Trail #650A.  This hike will take you to the base of Tamanawas Falls. (easy, four miles round trip)

If you're interested in a ridgetop view of Tamanawas Falls, follow the trail uphill away from the creek and Trail #650A.  When this trail meets Trail #645 at the top of the ridge, turn left (south) and follow #645 until you see Tamanawas Falls.  (moderate, five miles round trip)

Another possibility is to take a longer loop back to the parking area.  If you visited Tamanawas Falls from the creekside trail, take the trail that heads up away from the creek and turn right on Trail #645 at the top of the ridge.  This trail will take you back down to the East Fork Hood River. At the East Fork Trail #650, turn right (south).  Continue on this trail past the turn off to Tamanawas Falls trail and a 1/2 mile later you will arrive at the parking area. (moderate, five miles round trip)

*  The creekside trail is accessible in the winter by snowshoe if there is snow (this area is in the rainshadow of Mount Hood and therefore gets less snow that many locations on the Forest).

For More Information 

Contact Oregon Wild’s Portland office at (503) 283-6343 or visit our Wilderness pages here.  The Forest Services' Mount Hood website also contains useful info.

Maps can be found at Mount Hood District Ranger Stations and Nature of the Northwest in Portland.