Sight · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
A 90-foot cascade hides just off the Hamilton Mountain trail.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this place
Hamilton Mountain Trailhead“You're approaching Hamilton Mountain Trailhead, where one start offers two very different hikes. For a shorter waterfall outing, follow Hardy Creek to Rodney Falls and the Pool of the Winds.”
Plays as you drive up to Hardy Falls in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Hardy Falls is a roughly 90-foot horsetail on Hardy Creek in Beacon Rock State Park. It drops into a pool, and a descending side trail leaves the Hamilton Mountain path for an overlook above the water. It’s a good stop if you want a waterfall without committing to Hamilton Mountain’s rocky summit loop.
The overlook has two viewing platforms looking down at Hardy Falls from the side. Continue on the main trail for Rodney Falls and the separate Pool of the Winds spur. WTA’s Hardy and Rodney Falls route is about 3.5 miles round trip, with the falls heard about 1.5 miles in. Flow changes through the year and can dwindle to a trickle in dry spells. For photos, keep some of the ledges and pool around the water in frame; a tight crop loses the scale of the drop.
The lower Hamilton Mountain trailhead has parking for about 30 cars, flush toilets and a playground; a Discover Pass is required. The spur down to the falls can be slippery when the mud is wet. Turn back at Hardy if the waterfall is your goal; Rodney Falls and Pool of the Winds are close by if you want to keep going.
Wildlife
267 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
51 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
136 sightingsAmerican PikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
16 sightingsWapitiMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
195 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
74 sightingsChinook SalmonMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Columbia River Gorge. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingHamilton Mountain Summit Loop7.9 mi · 5 hr · 0.7 mi awayWaterfalls first, then a steep ridge climb and a big Gorge view.
ModerateHardy Falls and Rodney Falls Trail2.5 mi · 2 hr · 0.7 mi awayThree falls, two viewpoints, and no need to climb the summit.
ModerateThe Saddle via Equestrian Trail7 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA steady forest climb ends in a rocky gorge overlook.
ChallengingHardy Ridge Loop8.1 mi · 5.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA steep forest climb opens onto a rocky crest above the Gorge.
ModerateWest Hardy Trail5.6 mi · 3.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA steady climb opens to west-facing Columbia Gorge views.
ModerateBridge Trail Loop7 mi · 4 hr · 0.8 mi awayA wooded loop to Hardy Creek’s big wooden bridge.
ModerateBeacon Rock Trail1.8 mi · 1.5 hr · 1 mi awayFifty switchbacks turn a short climb into a Gorge overlook.
EasyRiver to Rock Trail1.5 mi · 54 min · 1.5 mi awayA short forest connector with a Beacon Rock view at Riddell Lake
Sight · 0.1 mi awayRodney Falls & Pool of the WindsA waterfall pours through a narrow rock chamber into a spray-filled pool.
Campground · 0.7 mi awayBeacon Rock State Park CampgroundOld CCC tent loop with Hamilton Mountain trails from your site
Sight · 1 mi awayBeacon RockA basalt landmark with a switchback trail above the Columbia.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayElowah FallsA 213-foot plunge framed by ancient lava and a green ravine.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayUpper McCord Creek FallsA narrow cliffside trail climbs to a twin cascade above Elowah.
Picnic area · 2.8 mi awaySams Walker Day Use AreaFlat loops link former fields, oak woods and river overlooks.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayBonneville Fish HatcherySee Herman through an underwater viewing window.
Visitor center · 3.5 mi awayBradford Island Visitor CenterFish ladder viewing and hydropower history under one roof.Parkwolf’s Columbia River Gorge ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
