Sight · Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
A quick waterfall stop, with a historic bridge on the way in.
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 area
The Bridge Before the Waterfall“If you walk from Mosier to Mosier Creek Falls, the old bridge you cross has a second story beneath the roadway.”
Plays on the road 0.2 mi from Mosier Creek 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
Mosier Creek Falls is a two-tier waterfall tucked into a wooded gorge just east of downtown Mosier, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River. The falls drop about 80 feet in two horsetail-shaped stages. A short walk brings you above the canyon to the overlook, then on to the top of the falls. It’s a good choice when you want a real waterfall without turning the day into a long hike.
The falls walk is about a mile round trip with 150 feet of climbing. Start at Totem Plaza, follow the highway shoulder east, then cross Mosier Creek on the restored 1920 bridge. The trail enters Mosier Pocket Park, follows the creek past a pioneer cemetery, and climbs through oak groves to the overlook. The old bridge was designed by Conde McCullough; graves in the cemetery date back to the 1860s. Keep going and the path climbs farther toward Mosier Plateau, a longer, more exposed outing.
Park in the gravel lot below Totem Plaza, between the highway and railroad tracks. The plaza has a restroom, and a nearby market sells drinks and snacks. Keep dogs leashed: the path skirts private property and cliffs. For a photo, walk to the overlook and frame the falls upriver in the canyon; you can’t see the classic view from the car. Spring brings stronger flow, which can be much lower by late June.
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
EasyMosier Creek Falls1 mi · 45 min · 0.4 mi awayA quick town walk to an 80-foot, two-tiered waterfall.
ModerateMosier Plateau Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.4 mi awayA creekside waterfall, spring flowers, then a steep climb to Gorge views.
ModerateHistoric Columbia River Highway State Trail — Twin Tunnels Segment4.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.9 mi awayWalk the old highway through twin tunnels with framed river views.
ModerateLittle Moab Trail3.4 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.4 mi awayA rocky basalt rim walk above steep wooded slopes.
ModerateOld Ranch Road Trail6.4 mi · 4.3 hr · 1.4 mi awayA long, rocky climb from old pavement to Gorge views.
ModerateCatherine Creek Labyrinth3.6 mi · 3 hr · 1.6 mi awayA basalt maze, a creekside waterfall, and a viewpoint worth the climb.
ModerateLittle Maui Trail #44251.1 mi · 45 min · 1.7 mi awayOpen oak meadows give way to streamside cascades.
EasyCatherine Creek Interpretive Trail1 mi · 54 min · 2.4 mi awayA paved mile through wildflower slopes to the Catherine Creek Falls view.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayMosier Twin TunnelsHistoric highway tunnels with windows that frame the Gorge.
Sight · 2.1 mi awayMemaloose OverlookA quick river view across to Memaloose Island.
Campground · 2.4 mi awayMemaloose State Park CampgroundCamp beside the Columbia, with Memaloose Island in view.
Sight · 4.4 mi awayRowena Crest OverlookSee the Columbia and Rowena Loops together in one roadside view.
Sight · 4.9 mi awayMayer State Park – River AccessChoose among wind sports, sheltered paddling, or a riverbank picnic.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.
