The trail here is rocky in places, and the undergrowth next to the trail is very thick, blocking most views in the summer. Pass another connector to a log crossing of the creek. The main trail continues beside the creek. This side trail shaves about a mile from the trip. There's a side trail here that drops down to an unimproved log that functions as a slippery bridge to connect with the loop trail on the other side of Latourell Creek. Pass a large Douglas-fir, and switchback twice above the lip of the falls. Look for a side view of Latourell Falls, particularly in the winter when the alders and maples have lost their leaves. Pass above a devil's club thicket where seeps trickle onto the trail tread. From the viewpoint, a wide dirt path leads makes two short switchbacks up under cedars and mossy maples. Joseph State Natural Area, where you'll encounter Upper Latourell Falls.īeginning from the Latourell Falls Trailhead, follow the paved viewpoint trail up to the Latourell Falls Viewpoint. Talbot (and the state park named after him) in 1929. The land around Latourell Falls was donated by Guy W. The Latourell family had a house, now abandoned but still standing, near the current state park picnic area. The falls are named after Joseph Latourell, a 19th century settler of the area who became postmaster of the Rooster Rock Post Office in 1887. The waterfalls are beautiful in all seasons, but in the summer, the water flow is very low, creating near misty conditions in the winter, the splash can freeze dangerously across the trail. Between them, the two waterfalls and Latourell Creek flow over three different flows of the Columbia River Basalts, which backfilled this valley between 15.5 and 14 million years ago. Then you can hike up under the highway bridge to the base of Latourell Falls and admire the plunge and basalt columns from below. You can view these lower falls from a point just above the trailhead, but the loop hike here takes you up Latourell Creek to see two-tiered Upper Latourell Falls before winding down to the state park picnic area below the highway. An eye-catching splash of chartreuse-colored golden cobblestone lichen (Pleopsidium flavum) adorns the upper amphitheater and contrasts with the dark basalt walls. A tall single-plunge waterfall of 224 feet, it spills over the lip of an undercut amphitheater of tall pillars of columnar basalt. Latourell Falls is the closest of the major Columbia River Gorge waterfalls to Portland, and it's also one of the most photogenic. Please check with Oregon State Parks before you plan your visit. The duration of the closure is weather-dependent, and OSP does not have an expected reopening date. NOTICE: As of this trail and parking area will be closed for the replacement of two bridges and the construction of steps to a viewpoint along the trail.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |