Looking for a beautiful hike in the Columbia River Gorge and wondering if the Wahkeena Springs Trail is worth it? I’ve got you!
One Monday morning, after a busy weekend, we wanted to get out, but not kill ourselves with a super intense hike.
So, we did some searching for a moderate hike of 2-3 miles and finally found one that we felt would be great. We settled on Wahkeena Springs, a hike near Multnomah Falls along the historic Columbia River Highway, after consulting
We figured a short waterfall hike with a decent amount of elevation gain (approx 1,200 ft) would be the perfect leg training for our longer hikes later in the season. Plus, it’s not far from downtown Portland, making it an easy drive.
However, we got a little more than we bargained for – mostly because we were hiking with the kids. But, fear not.
Whether you’re on a road trip through the Pacific Northwest or are a local looking for a great spot to hike this weekend, I’ve pulled together all the hike details and our experience to make sure you have all the information we didn’t!
Let’s get started.
Hiking to Wahkeena Falls and Springs in Oregon
Amenities and Logistics
Parking
When we arrived at the trailhead, we were surprised by how many people were there, even on a non-holiday Monday. (Though the fact that it’s a hiking trail close to Portland probably has something to do with it, lol.)
The parking along the main road was full. However, there was a lower parking area where we easily found a spot.
Therefore, we would highly recommend doing this hike during the week, if possible. Our guess is that on the weekend, it fills up quickly and parking will be difficult unless you get a super early start.
Day Use Area Facilities
Nearby, there are bathrooms with actual toilet stalls and cold running water. However, as is common with a lot of park bathrooms, if you want soap or sanitizer, you’ll need to have your own.
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In addition, there is a picnic area with several picnic tables scattered around, which are perfect for a quick picnic lunch before starting your hike.
Fees
The Wahkeena Falls area is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service, but there is no fee required to use the facilities or trails for regular use.
Trailhead
When you’re ready to begin your hike, head across the street to the Wahkeena Falls Trailhead. There, you will see the sign for Wahkeena Falls and the trailhead (which starts as a paved path) will be on your right. We started our mileage from the parking lot, so all of our notations on mileage are from the lot.
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Wahkeena Falls Trail
Right away, you’ll notice that, although the trail is paved, it is steep. Thankfully, if you make it through the first set of switchbacks 0.2 miles in, you’ll have the quick payoff after a short hike at the base of Wahkeena Falls.
The falls are gorgeous and they spray across the trail lightly, which was a welcome reprieve on the day we were hiking. However, if you’re hiking this trail on a cooler or rainy day, you may want to bring a rain jacket (along with the rest of your hiking essentials) to shield you from the spray.
If you have really young kids (we’d say under 4) who are hiking themselves, we suggest stopping here, unless you’re willing to carry them as the trail starts to get a bit more challenging from here with a moderate climb.
But if you do continue from here, it’s important to make sure everyone (including the kids) has good hiking shoes as the entire trail isn’t paved.
If you continue past the falls, you’ll notice that as the noise from the water fades away, you will start to hear road noise from the highway below. However, if you can tune it out for a short time, you are rewarded with stunning views of the Columbia River. Which is excellent, because those steep switchbacks – yup, you’re still climbing them!
Lemmons Viewpoint
Soon, you’ll arrive at a split in the trail to Lemmon’s Viewpoint. At this point, you’ve made it about 0.8 miles up the trail.
It is a short walk down to the point. Do NOT pass it up! Especially if it is a clear day. You’ll be rewarded with killer views of Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge.
Be aware if you have little kids hiking with you, the chains are not going to keep them from falling over the edge. Hang tight to your little adventurers!
If your kiddos are under 6 or beginners at hiking, you may want to make this your stopping point. However, if they sailed through this far like a champ, go for it! You’re almost halfway!!
After the viewpoint, the paved trail ends and it becomes rocky dirt. As you make your way up this section of trail, the road noise will fade away and you will begin to hear the rush of water. A short way up the dirt trail, you’ll come to a footbridge. As soon as I saw it ahead, I told the boys and they seemed to find a second (maybe it was their third at this point?) wind.
After the bridge, continue up the trail alongside the spring. Remember those switchbacks?? You’re not done yet!
Fairy Falls
Keep climbing and soon you’ll see another footbridge and be rewarded with the view of Fairy Falls. We kind of encouraged, kind of tricked the boys 😅, saying maybe we could get to the top of the falls. And while you can sort of see from the top of the falls from the edge of the trail, it wasn’t quite what we were hoping for.
Bubbling Brooks and Wildflowers
As you continue up this portion of the trail, make sure you listen! We found an awesome spot where the water was bubbling out beside the trail. You could barely see it, but the sound was so soothing!
A little further on, you’ll come to a trail junction, where you have the choice of taking the Vista Point Trail or the Wahkeena Trail. After consulting the map (and a big pep talk for the boys),we continued along the Wahkeena Trail.
Shortly after, we started seeing a change in vegetation. There had been a few wildflowers along the trail on the way up. However, all of a sudden, we came across an area of trees that were more spaced out and underneath the trees was a bed FULL of wildflowers.
Wahkeena Springs
Through the wildflowers, we continued our hike and came to another fork in the trail. At this point, we had made it to the 1.95 mile (and 1,127 ft of elevation) point and we knew the boys weren’t going to last much longer – at least for anything uphill! So, we opted to go towards the head of the spring instead of continuing to follow the Wahkeena Trail. We headed to the right on Angel’s Rest Trail for a short distance, and took the first footpath to the right.
Just through the trees down the side trail was a wonderful little oasis. The springs bubble up out of the ground and widen out enough for a place to wade (if you’re brave enough – the water is ice cold!!) and rest for a bit and grab a snack.
Note: There were a few mosquitos here, mostly where the water wasn’t moving as fast, so if you plan to stay long, you may want to bring bug spray. (And have this handy gadget if you do get bit.)
The Return Hike from Wahkeena Springs
Once everyone had their fill, we started our trek back down the trail. All in all, not including rest time, it had taken us about an hour and fifteen minutes to hike up the trail – it was probably closer to two hours with rest breaks.
Our total distance round trip back to the parking lot ended up being 4.12 miles and a total of 1,139 ft in elevation. The return down the hill took 40 minutes. Max.
The entire way down, our youngest kept asking “How far have we gone?” After I would tell him, he’d say:“Wow!! That was sooooo fast!” 😆
Take Care of the Switchback Drop-Offs
This is probably a good time to mention that the drop-offs on the side of the switchbacks are pretty steep. Keep a close hold on smaller kids and make sure your older kids are aware of the edge and use a healthy dose of caution.
(And remember to follow proper trail etiquette and don’t cut switchbacks. 😉)
Going up, you’re slow enough, so we found it less of an issue. However, going downhill, they were more likely to try to pick up the pace and run – one slip and fall could have sent them over a pretty steep edge. So, we just encouraged them to keep it to a steady pace and watch the edge and they handled it fine.
Final Thoughts on Hiking to Wahkeena Falls and Springs
Our kids were pretty young the first time we did this hike and the found the elevation change on this hike to be a bit of an obstacle for their little legs. However, that obstacle led us to a beautiful waterfall (actually more than one!), springs, and an oasis under the trees. It was totally worth it.
Before you go…
This isn’t the only waterfall hike in Oregon you need to see. In fact, it’s not even my favorite. 😅 Read my next article to find more of the top waterfalls in Oregon.
