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Twister Falls is arguably the most unique waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. Eagle Creek veils, plunges and twists about 130 vertical feet in a very eclectic variety of shapes at the head of a narrow canyon. The falls begin with a sliding cascade dropping about 5 feet into a pool, from which the creek gathers and continues to slide until it hits a domed 35 foot cliff with two channels carved into the rock which forces the two channels of water to spray into and across each other mid-fall, resulting in a natural bow-tie shape. Immediately below this, the creek bends almost 90 degrees to the left and plunges another 90 feet, slamming into a protruding rock just before pooling in a large basin below. Viewing the falls in entirety is unfortunately very difficult due to the way the trail approaches the falls, carved precariously into the adjacent cliff, but the intimacy factor certainly makes up for visibility issues. Exercise caution where the trail approaches the top of the falls, there are no protective railings to safeguard against falling into the gorge.
- Twister Falls is the Adopted name of this waterfall.
- Known Alternate Names: Crossover Falls, Crisscross Falls, Eagle Creek Falls
This waterfall was never named by the USGS, and due to its proximity to nearby Tunnel Falls, it recieves a fair amount of attention, so there have been many names applied to it over the years - most of which revolve around a descriptive of the upper tier of the falls. Crossover, Crisscross, Bowtie and Eagle Creek Falls are all common namings - the latter appearing in A Waterfall Lovers Guide to the Pacific Northwest. The most accepted name, however, is Twister Falls.
Twister Falls is accessed from the Eagle Creek Trail near the Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge. Depart Interstate 84 at Eagle Creek (signed, but only accessible to eastbound traffic 0 westbounders need to turn around at the Bonneville Dam exit), turn left and proceed to the trailhead. Twister is passed just under approximately 6 1/4 miles from the trailhead and is impossible to miss after passing behind Tunnel Falls shortly downstream. Access to the base of the falls is possible but requires a steep, precarious scramble down a slope of very loose rocks that could easily torque an ankle.
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