I’m just getting around to processing my images from last weekend’s trip to the Columbia River Gorge.  Yes, it was wet and overcast, but that made for excellent waterfall photography.  Also, one evening we were blessed with an awesome sunset (opening image).  Spring is a wonderful time to visit the Gorge, as the greens are vibrant and the cascades are absolutely gushing! You’ll also avoid the crowds of summer and the cold of winter.  Fall is another great time to visit, as the deciduous trees change to brilliant shades of yellow.  I try to make at least one trip in the spring and one in the fall to this area each year.  Every time I visit, I discover a new composition or different perspective on the same subjects. It’s like reading my favorite books over and over again.  If you haven’t visited this magical place, now is the perfect time, and if you have been there before, why not go back!

We started out at Troutdate, OR and drove the tortuous historic Columbia River Highway, as it followed the twists and turns of the Columbia River.  We stopped at almost every waterfall along the way, but the standouts were Latourell, Wahkeena, Multnomah, and Horsetail Falls.  After Horsetail Falls, we hopped on I-84, and head a few miles east to exit 40, where we parked our car and went on a beautiful hike to my absolute favorite waterfall of the area, Wahclella Falls.  Wahclella Falls is in Tanner Creek, next to the Bonneville Dam on the south side of I-84. The trailhead is located at the end of the parking lot. There are a few other paths right off the freeway, but the one you want is hidden back a few hundred feet. Several types of parking passes are honored here, including the Federal NW Forest Pass. If you don’t have a pass you can pay a $5.00 day use fee at the trailhead. We spent two days in the Gorge before heading back to Seattle. I hope you enjoy the images!