|
Wy'east Falls is perhaps the most impressive of all the tributary waterfalls that can be found along the Eagle Creek Trail. The falls plunge a sheer 140 feet over the classic Eagle Creek basalt formation that lines so much of this area. The falls can be seen from the Eagle Creek Trail fairly easily - more so before the trees have filled out - but achieving a clear view of the falls requires a short scramble upstream which may involve getting your feet wet. Though the unnamed stream isn't terribly large, the falls do produce a fairly heavy cloud of spray, soaking the walls of the alcove with water for most of the year, resulting in abundant moss around the falls. The stream is spring fed and does flow all year long, but it does lose the majority of its volume by the summer.
- Wy'east Falls is the Adopted name of this waterfall.
Wy'east Falls was named by Greg Plumb in A Waterfall Lovers Guide to the Pacific Northwest after a nearby campsite along the Eagle Creek Trail. Wy'east is the Native American name for Mount Hood.
Wy'east 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 - westbounders need to turn around at the Bonneville Dam exit), turn left and proceed to the trailhead. Wy'east Falls is passed approximately 5 miles from the trailhead. The trail crosses 300 feet downstream from the falls, with a scramble path leading up the right side of the creek.
|
