Parking
Use the Bridal Veil Falls State Scenic Viewpoint day-use lot off Historic Columbia River Highway. From I-84 Exit 28, drive west about three-quarters of a mile to the park. A day-use parking permit is required and can be purchased on site.
Overview
About Bridal Veil Overlook Loop Trail
Why go
- Paved, minimally sloped route with Columbia Gorge views
- Picnic nooks, native-plant signs and basalt landmarks
Heads up
- Short circuit; the waterfall is on a separate trail
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Columbia River Gorge map
Full mapElevation167–184 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Columbia River Gorge alerts
- ClosureEagle Creek Fire area closureMentions Eagle Creek Fire, referenced in this guideDo not enter Oneonta Gorge or the specified trail sections because hazards remain following the Eagle Creek Fire.Official details
- CautionCape Horn area access restrictionsMentions Cape Horn, referenced in this guideCape Horn access is restricted: do not drive on National Forest System trails or off National Forest System roads, enter after sundown or before sunrise, camp, or have campfires.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide
Your drive to Bridal Veil Overlook Loop Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Bridal Veil Falls and the Bluff0:00 / 0:32
“You're coming up on Bridal Veil Falls, where two very different short walks start from the same park. If the waterfall is your reason to stop, take the trail downhill to its two mossy tiers.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Columbia River Gorge Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Postmark That Outlived the Mill
- Angel's Rest Trailhead
- The Crew Behind the Climb
- Shepperd's Dell Falls
- 217 audio storiesacross Columbia River Gorge’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bald Eagle, Black Bear, American Pika, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 111 trails, 78 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Bridal Veil Overlook Loop Trail
A short blufftop circuitThis 0.
This 0.34-mile paved loop circles the bluff at Bridal Veil Falls State Scenic Viewpoint, with broad views across the Columbia River. It is an easy way to look toward Archer and Hamilton mountains, Cape Horn’s high river cliffs, Beacon Rock and forested Sand Island. The route stays above the river; it does not descend to Bridal Veil Falls.
Look for rock, river and wildflowersThe pavement curves through a patch of woodland and opens at river-facing nooks with picnic…
The pavement curves through a patch of woodland and opens at river-facing nooks with picnic tables. At the western outlook, the remaining Pillars of Hercules stand beside the rail line; include the river in the frame to give the basalt and cliffs a sense of scale. Plant signs point out camas, lupine, bead lily, trillium and bleeding heart. A section of forest still shows the effects of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.
Parking and accessAllow about 20 minutes, or longer if you pause at the views or plant signs.
Allow about 20 minutes, or longer if you pause at the views or plant signs. The paved route is identified as accessible and has minimal slope. Restrooms and picnic tables are near the day-use parking area, and leashed dogs are allowed. A day-use parking permit is required and can be purchased on site. From I-84 Exit 28, drive west about three-quarters of a mile on Historic Columbia River Highway to the park. The separate descent to the falls is steep and is not part of this loop.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Columbia River Gorge
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.
