Eagle Creek Trail to Tunnel Falls

Eagle Creek Trail to Tunnel Falls is one of the most dramatic hikes in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, located east of Portland off I-84 at Exit 41, approximately 35 miles east of the city in Hood River County, Oregon. From May through September, a day-use recreation reservation is required through recreation.gov ($2 per vehicle); this system was introduced as part of post-2017 Eagle Creek Fire management to control high visitation during gorge recovery.

The trail follows Eagle Creek upstream for 6 miles each way — 12 miles round-trip to Tunnel Falls — traversing a narrow canyon with cliff edges and wooden cable-equipped handrail sections along sheer basalt walls. The gorge is dense with moss, fern, and old-growth cedar and Douglas fir, creating a lush corridor that retained much of its character through the 2017 fire. The trail surface is dirt and rock throughout, with moderate exposure on the cliff-edge sections where hikers grip fixed cable handrails to navigate narrow ledges.

Key landmarks include Punchbowl Falls at mile 2 — a perfectly bowl-shaped waterfall accessible via a short side trail to a swimming hole — Loowit Falls at mile 3, a 40-foot cascade visible from a high viewpoint, and High Bridge at approximately 3.5 miles, a narrow footbridge over a deep canyon slot. Tunnel Falls at mile 6 is the centerpiece: a 160-foot tiered waterfall with a tunnel blasted directly through the basalt immediately behind the curtain, allowing hikers to pass through while water crashes just feet away.

The trail gains 1,300 feet over 6 miles to Tunnel Falls. Many visitors turn back at Punchbowl Falls (4 miles round-trip) or High Bridge (7 miles round-trip) for shorter alternatives. Hikers should verify current trail status with the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area before visiting, as restoration work from the 2017 fire has resulted in phased reopenings of some sections over recent seasons.