Wahkeena Falls is one of the more popular waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. While it is a pretty cool waterfall, I think its popularity has more to do with its location right off the highway. It is also the first stop west from Multnomah Falls so it is an easy stop for tourists making a quick stop.
The parking lot for Wahkeena Falls is just across the street from the base of the waterfall. To me, the base of the waterfall provides the best composition for Wahkeena Falls, but because it is a long and tumbling falls, I did not think it was super scenic from any location. If you want a view of the top of the falls or to make your way to Fairy Falls, then you have to hike, but unless you are going to Fairy Falls, I wouldn’t do the hike just to see the top of Wahkeena Falls.
If you choose not to do any hiking, this is the only view you will get, which although not amazing, is pretty good for being on the side of the road!
The most difficult part of the hike is the steep climb to the top of Wahkeena Falls. It isn’t long of a hike, but it is the steepest portion and the reward is the view below. Like I said, it isn’t worth it unless you are willing to keep going to Fairy Falls.
Honestly, the payoff at the top of this first hill isn’t as good as the view from the bottom, but it is still worth it to see the falls up close and to continue the rest of the hike.
Once you finish at the top, it’s on to the next waterfall.
Fairy Falls
The reward of the hike is reaching Fairy Falls. Below is the first view you get of the waterfall from the trail.
Near the base of the waterfall is a little wood bench, which will be wet most of the time, but I am sure it is nice on a dry day.
Fairy Falls is pretty small and not too impressive, but the cascades are quite lovely and it is a nice peaceful setting.
There isn’t a lot to work with at Fairy Falls, but I played around with a few foreground compositions below.
There are also a handful of things to see on the way up or down, the biggest of which is Lemmon’s Viewpoint.
Lemmon’s Viewpoint
This viewpoint is a short detour from the top of the ridge and shows a great view of the river.
I got there a little too late in the morning to get great light, but it was still fun to shoot some vistas as a break from the waterfalls.
You can also see a stream down the hillside here, but I could not find a safe or worthwhile way to make it down to explore.
Other stuff to see along the hike
Along the trail, there are lots of great places to shoot more images.
along the steeper parts of the hike, I stopped to look at the moss and plants growing out of the rock ledges.
You can also find little mini waterfalls.
My favorite part of this hike though is when it runs along the creek.
The creek is beautiful, with compositions nearly every step that you can play with.
Using a slow shutter over the cascading water makes it look a lot more rough than it actually was.
The greens and reds make a nice contrast for the creek shots.
Fallen logs are everywhere and add some interest as well.
Further up the trail, the trees get bigger too, which helps to add some depth to your shots.
This area, close to Fairy Falls, was my absolute favorite spot along the hike. Even moreso than the waterfalls.
The combination of cascades, moss and fallen trees was just magical.
