Columbia Gorge Spring 2017

The Columbia Gorge

As the Columbia River flows westward toward the sea, its colossal gorge is the final conduit into which flow many small rivers and creeks.

The southern wall, in particular, became a wonderland of water falling in tall waterfalls. When the original Historic Highway 30 was first built, it was to access the magnificent sites along this vast parapet. A major highway, route 84, was subsequently built for fast travel, but sections of the older road were preserved to access a series of spectacular waterfalls.

During my visit, the rain was intermittent, but every day had rain showers and heavy cloud cover.

Still, the waterfalls are so visually powerful that the lack of sunshine was not a deterrent to enjoying them.

These galleries chronicle the most accessible of the falls, those that did not require lugging a heavy drone on long hikes.