Elowah Falls Trail

Elowah Falls Trail is a 1.5-mile out-and-back from John B. Yeon Trailhead to the base of the falls, with about 260 feet of climbing. It follows Gorge Trail #400 before branching down to McCord Creek. The payoff is a single 213-foot plunge into a dark rock amphitheater. Allow about an hour and a half with a stop at the water. If you want Upper McCord Creek’s twin falls too, that is a longer outing from the same trailhead; this route turns back at Elowah.

The trail climbs through forest from the lot, passing an old wooden cistern that once supplied water to nearby homes. At a fork about 0.3 mile in, take the left-hand branch for Elowah Falls; the other route climbs toward Upper McCord Creek. Short switchbacks drop into the ravine, where the tread is uneven dirt and rock. The way back retraces that descent as a climb, so expect a steeper finish than the short mileage suggests. The lower slope also shows the effects of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, with forest regrowth among the burned trees.

McCord Creek drops in one tall sheet into a bowl of layered basalt. Bright chartreuse lichen marks the dark cliffs around the falls, and spray cools the basin. Oregon’s Mazamas named the waterfall Elowah in 1915; the Civilian Conservation Corps built a bridge across McCord Creek and a mile and a half of foot trail here in 1935. For a photo, keep the full white drop and some of the enclosing cliff in frame; the rock gives the falls their scale. The spray can slick the rocks beside the creek.

Park at the John B. Yeon Trailhead lot on the I-84 frontage road; it is free, but lots here fill quickly when nearby trails are busy. From eastbound I-84 use Exit 35/Ainsworth; from westbound, use Exit 37/Warrendale. There is no restroom at the trailhead; the closest are at Ainsworth Day Use Area. Dogs are allowed on leash. The snack shop at Bonneville Dam is a separate stop a few miles away, not on the hike.