Outdoor Project

Hidden on private land owned by the Mount Angel Abbey, Abiqua Falls is arguably one of Oregon's most spectacular waterfalls.  The 92-foot waterfall is perfectly framed by an enormous basalt amphitheater adorned with lichens, mosses and various ferns, but what makes the hike to the classic cascade so special is that it is so difficult to find, making the end destination that much more rewarding.

The short paddle to the base of Willamette Falls not only provides the best vantage point of the monstrous cascade, it is also an eye-opening historical tour of the oldest U.S. town west of the Rocky Mountains.

As the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest and the 17th-widest in the world, Willamette Falls is truly a natural wonder.  Its size is even more impressive now, as most other comparable waterfalls have long been submerged due to the construction of dams (think Celilo Falls on the Columbia River, once the sixth-largest in the world).

The Crown Point Vista House was built in 1916 in conjunction with the Historic Columbia River Highway (so named after Interstate 84 became the predominant means of travel). The highway is still the only route to Crown Point, which sits 733 feet above the Columbia River. Columbia Vista House was built as a stop for travelers along the highway in need of a rest and a fantastic view of the Columbia River Gorge. The building is an octagonal shape with a copper dome, and it now houses a museum, gift shop and interpretive display of historic and geologic points of interest in the Gorge.

Only 6 miles outside of the town of McCloud, the McCloud River Three Falls Trail is a great hike through a mountainous, high desert forest with a wonderful variety of flora, not to mention the three distinctive waterfalls.

The Wintu Native Americans called the Lower Falls Nurum-wit-ti-dekki, which roughly translates to "falls where the salmon turn back."  The McCloud River was such a popular place for fishing that in 1874 a traveler apparently reported “a party of six Indians on McCloud’s Fork, speared over 500 salmon in one night!”