Eagle Creek to High Bridge

Eagle Creek to High Bridge is a 6.6-mile round-trip out-and-back on Trail #440, ending at a footbridge across a narrow gorge. The trail follows the canyon above Eagle Creek, with a high view of Punch Bowl Falls, Loowit Falls on the approach, and a look through the gorge from the bridge. Allow about four hours with stops. Much of the climb is gradual, but the narrow cliff edges make this a serious choice for anyone uneasy with heights.

Within the first half-mile, Trail #440 climbs high above the creek. The tread pinches along exposed basalt cliffs; fixed cables give handholds in the narrowest sections, and seepage can make the rock slick. Around mile 1.9, a signed junction drops toward Lower Punch Bowl Falls. That spur adds a 300-foot descent and climb and is separate from the 6.6-mile High Bridge route. Stay on the main trail another quarter-mile for the overhead Punch Bowl Falls viewpoint, looking into its round basin and deep pool. The shorter out-and-back to Punch Bowl Falls is about 3.8 miles.

Past the overlook, the trail leaves the creek briefly, then returns above it. Look across the water for Loowit Falls, a thin cascade that drops into a pool before joining Eagle Creek. The final approach to High Bridge is rocky, with the cliff edge still close and cable fixed to the wall. The bridge spans the narrow channel; pause there to look down the gorge and upstream at cascades. It was replaced after damage in the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Tenas Camp, a quieter lunch stop, is about 100 yards beyond the mapped turnaround.

Start at Eagle Creek Trailhead; a Northwest Forest Pass or America the Beautiful pass is required. Parking is limited. If the road-end lot is full, the larger area by the fish hatchery adds about one mile round trip. Dogs are allowed on leash; parts of the cliffside trail have no handrail, so keep them close. The free self-issued wilderness permit begins around mile five, beyond High Bridge, and is not needed for this turnaround. If exposed cliffs feel like too much, stopping at Punch Bowl Falls makes a shorter hike on the same corridor.