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Oneonta Gorge

Cascade Locks, Oregon

4.8/5
based on 30 reviews

Details

Distance

0.92 miles

Elevation Gain

531 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Michael Matti

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain). Oneonta is a unique gorge that leads to beautiful Oneonta Falls. The experience of wading through chilly water to reach the falls only adds to the adventure.

*Currently closed (except a small portion of the upper trail between Multnomah Spur and Trail #444 on Larch Mountain)...here

This hike is very short (1 mile roundtrip) but does take some time to do. The trail leads down from the road into a stream bed. You follow the stream bed upstream through a narrow gorge. At the entrance to the gorge there is a large log jam. This requires some balance to climb over; be very careful if it is wet.

I like the path over the log jam on the far left near the gorge wall. Once you're over the log jam, the rest of the hike is just walking in and then wading through the stream. At one point in the stream the water gets quite deep, maybe 5ft depending on time of year. This section isn't very long but the water is cold. It is possible to cling to the rock and shimmy along the right side of the gorge and only have the water go up to about your knees. After the deep section, you arrive at the end of the gorge and the spectacular waterfall.

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Features

Photography
Hiking
River
Scenic
Waterfall
Swimming Hole

Oneonta Gorge Reviews

This is quite the little adventure. So much fun and totally worth the crowd i'm about to talk about. I definitely recommend going on a week day and early. We went on a Saturday and it was crazy crowded!! I had about a window of 15 seconds to take a photo of the waterfall with my big canon 5d before someone would walk right in the middle with their selfie stick. Lots of people bring their small children and dogs which I think is incredibly dangerous. Besides the people - this hike is soooo much fun. You feel like you are in a time warp.

Explorer

06/14/16

This is one of the coolest (in both senses of the word) hikes I've ever done. It is very short but the water is so cold I was glad it wasn't any longer. The hike was incredibly busy but people were taking turns taking photos of the waterfall, which was a nice gesture. Bring a dry sack for your electronics, just in case!

Went on a Friday at 7am. Gorge was completely empty both to and from the falls and up until we got back to the parking lot. I'd strongly suggest going early. It's a whole different experience when you're there with just the gorge, falls, and your party there to enjoy it. Plus, it may allow for some good wildlife viewing. During our visit a Great Blue Heron was chilling in the gorge. A fun sight to see.

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

Nearby

Triple Falls

Horsetail Falls Loop

Ponytail Falls

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah-Wahkeena Loop

Larch Mountain's Summit