Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls Day Hike
Trail Name: Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek
Enter/Exit: Elowah Falls Trail Head
Trip type: In and Out
Difficulty: Moderate due to elevation
Distance: 2.4 miles
Elevation: 862
Guide: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/elowah-and-upper-mccord-creek-falls-trail
Review:
This hike can be done by hiking to both water falls or just one or the other. Both hikes start from the western side of the small parking lot and past by an old water tank. The trail climbs fairly gently for about .4 miles before it comes to a not so obvious junction. If you turn left and slightly downhill you will follow the trail down to the bottom of Elowah Falls. The trail switchbacks down to the rocky waterfall base and can often be slippery and muddy so trekking poles are advised. If you wish to continue to the top of Elowah Falls and Upper McCord Creek Falls you will climb the switchbacks up and out form Elowah falls and follow the trail back to the junction. Once at the junction, you will take the trail to the right this time and it climbs up to a rocky ledge that has a metal guard railing along it. Enjoy views west, north and east before rounding the corner to a beautiful view of Elowah Falls as it cascades down. Continue further up trail to see the smaller but still beautiful McCord Creek Falls. The trail currently ends there due to slide damage but there is a small area you can relax and enjoy the sounds of the water falling. Once you are ready you can descend down back the way you came making sure to follow the trail back to the parking area and not to Elowah Falls. The trail is very near I84 so traffic noise is a constant but so are the incredible views. October offers smaller crowds at the trail head and beautiful red, orange and green colors in the trees. Trail is accessible typically year round. Cheers!
Rating: Come back. This is a classic Columbia River Gorge hike for a reason.
Rating Guide:
-Gram it: Check out the pictures on Instagram because this one is not worth seeing in person.
-Hike it: It’s short and sweet. Might as well knock it out in a day.
-Bag it: Pack a bag and spend the night.
-Bring a friend: Easy enough to bring a friend. Maybe this is where you can introduce someone to backpacking.
-Come Back: I will keep doing this trip it is so good!
