Punch Bowl Falls

Punch Bowl Falls is a waterfall on Eagle Creek, where the stream drops into a deep pool ringed by a rounded rock amphitheater. You reach it on Eagle Creek Trail #440 in a steep basalt gorge, about two miles from the trailhead. From the overlook, the walls curve around the water like a bowl. This is one of the Gorge’s signature waterfall views, but it takes a hike into the canyon rather than a quick roadside stop.

The main view is from an overlook on the main trail above the falls. Frame the white drop with the curving rock walls and some of the pool; that is the view that makes the bowl shape clear. The creek-level spur is optional. Lower Punch Bowl Trail #440B descends about 0.2 mile from the main route. In 2019, the western cliff wall collapsed, leaving angular rubble in the channel where a pebble beach used to be. A 2025 visitor account describes a rocky scramble at the water, and current passability is unclear. The overlook gives the classic view without taking that rougher spur, so check trail conditions before descending.

From Eagle Creek trailhead near I-84 Exit 41, follow the exposed cliffside trail to the spur junction around 1.8 miles in; the upper-falls overlook is a short walk farther along the main trail. Parts of the route have steep drops and no handrails, so it can feel unnerving if heights bother you. Summer weekends can be busy and the small lot may fill; parking at the alternate lot near the fish hatchery adds about a mile round trip. There is no potable water at the trailhead, and restroom location is unclear. The north-facing canyon can be cold, wet and icy in winter and early spring. Keep dogs leashed; jumping or diving into either Punch Bowl Falls is prohibited.