Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls State Scenic Viewpoint is an Oregon day-use park off the Historic Columbia River Highway, with a two-tier waterfall and a separate bluff-top loop above the Columbia. It earns a stop on a Gorge drive because you can choose between two very different short walks: a steep trail down to the falls or an easy paved loop with broad river views. If you're with someone who can't manage steep switchbacks, the paved route still makes this a worthwhile stop.

The falls trail drops through trees to a viewing area beside Bridal Veil Creek. The water spills over mossy basalt in two tiers, dropping about 120 feet in all. The upper cascade passes below the old Columbia River Highway bridge; the lower tier tumbles into a shaded pool. At the base, you can see the whole drop at once, which is why this is the route to take if the waterfall is your reason for stopping.

The trail is short, but the walk back is the harder part: you descend a steep set of switchbacks and then climb them to the parking area. This route isn't wheelchair accessible. Frame both tiers against the dark rock from the creek-side viewing area. The falls are most likely to be running strongly in winter and after spring rain.

A separate paved loop follows the bluff for about half a mile, with little picnic-table nooks and interpretive signs along the way. It is the gentler option, with minimal slope and a wide view across the Columbia. Look for Cape Horn's cliffs, Beacon Rock, and Archer and Hamilton mountains. The western viewpoint also faces the basalt columns called the Pillars of Hercules; during the wet season, Cape Horn Falls can be seen dropping down the far cliffs. For a broad Gorge photo, include the river and a slice of the bluff or trees in the foreground.

The park sits on the former Bridal Veil Timber Company site. The company began operating here in 1886, using a flume to bring rough-cut lumber to its sawmill and the railroad. Signs and remnants on the grounds point out the old dike, a human-made creek and a corrugated-iron shed. The Pillars of Hercules have their own rail history: an 1884 line passed between columns then known as the Needles, and later road and rail work destroyed some of them.