10 Must See Waterfalls Not In The Gorge

We’ll admit, it’s been the driest spring on record, and normally summer on the west side of the Cascades doesn’t start until July.  If the rains return, take advantage of the opportunity to check out one Northwest feature that is best viewed on a wet spring day… waterfalls!  Right now is the perfect time to scope out local cascades in particular because the snow is melting, the clouds are looming, and the rivers and creeks are charged with astonishingly high flow rates.

If you are from Portland, there is usually the one place everyone goes to see waterfalls, the Columbia River Gorge.  Multnomah Falls alone receives over 1 million visitors annually, not to mention those visitors who flock to view Latourell Falls, Horsetail Falls, and Punchbowl Falls along Eagle Creek.

Granted, the Gorge is host to one of the most spectacular collections of falls in the country, and it’s a good guess that you probably haven’t seen them all.  But for those who have exhausted their quota of visits to the Gorge, or for those who wouldn’t mind impressing their friends with a little local waterfall tour, here are 10 must-see waterfalls in-and-around Portland not located in the Gorge.  In order from closest to furthest:

1. Lacamas Creek Lower Falls
2. Ramona Falls
3. Pup Creek Falls, Ramona Falls
4. Falls Creek Falls
5. Wildcat Falls (Siouxon Creek)
6. Tamanawas Falls
7. Celestial Falls/White River Falls
8. Niagara Falls
9. Chitwood Creek Falls (Hart's Cove)
10. Drift Creek Falls

Enjoy!