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Highway 30 was the original Columbia River Highway, stretching from Astoria to the east side of the Cascade Mountains. While the extension through the Columbia River Gorge was clearly the most famous stretch, it wasn't the only location that sported lacy waterfalls along the route. Jack Falls was once a prime attraction along old Highway 30 near Rainier, but since the road has been realigned, the falls are seldom noticed. While Jack Falls Creek has a miniscule drainage area and will run dry in the summer (part of the reason nobody knows of this feature), the falls are nice while they flow in the winter, spraying about 75 feet down the hillside, hitting a few rocks on the way down, before cascading under the former roadbed. Stinging Nettles and wild Blackberry brambles have done their best to reclaim the old roadbed, so be sure to wear long pants when visiting this one.
- Jack Falls is the Official name of this waterfall.
This one will be pretty difficult to photograph when the trees are in leaf. Climbing up alongside the cascading creek to the bottom of the actual falls may yield better results. The falls face east and are surrounded by many trees, so expect high contrast until mid-afternoon.
Jack Falls is accessed from the former roadbed of Highway 30 near the site of the former Trojan Nuclear Plant south of Rainier. Park at a pullout along Graham Road 5.5 miles south of the Lewis and Clark Bridge (spanning the Columbia River between Rainier and Longview), cross Highway 30 and walk along the overgrown remnant of the old highway for 1/3 mile to the falls.
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