Dry Creek Falls to Herman Creek

Dry Creek Falls to Herman Creek is an 8.6-mile out-and-back from Toll House Park. Follow the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) to Dry Creek Falls, return to the Dry Creek crossing, then continue 1.6 miles east to the Herman Creek Pinnacles before retracing the route. Allow about 4.5 to 5 hours. The waterfall is the first payoff, but this is a longer half-day walk, not a quick stop; the forested PCT and angular basalt outcrops give you another reason to keep going.

Cross the Bridge of the Gods approach road from Toll House Park to reach the PCT. It runs beside I-84 for about 400 feet, then turns up Moody Avenue beneath the freeway. At the twin trailheads, take the left PCT rather than Gorge Trail 400. The climb is gradual. After about a mile, turn briefly onto the power-line access road and then left at the PCT sign; the trail passes a minor summit before descending to Dry Creek. Expect a forest walk with maples, fir, moss and ferns, plus rougher footing around the creek. Turn right at Dry Creek Road and follow the rocky side trail to the falls, which drop through a basalt amphitheater. A vertical frame that keeps both basalt walls around the water shows the narrow cascade in its setting. Dry Creek once supplied the lock gates at Cascade Locks from 1896 to 1937; diversion left the creekbed dry, and Bonneville Dam later submerged the Great Cascades and much of the canal.

Return to the PCT bridge at Dry Creek and head east 1.6 miles to the triangular basalt outcrops, then retrace the route to Toll House Park. The PCT crosses a hillside with a noticeable side slope on this stretch; give the tread attention. Dogs are allowed, and leashes are recommended. A Northwest Forest Pass or kiosk payment is required at Toll House Park; trailhead restrooms close in winter. For food afterward, Wa-Na-Pa Street in Cascade Locks has options including locally caught salmon chowder, pizza and brewpub fare; these are a separate stop in town.