When I was a kid we used to go here during the hot summer days to creek walk, swim and cool off. It's a pretty short hike and a blast to boot! Plus, the day we decided to go it was hot, hot, hot! So we packed a change of clothes, dropped Khloe off at my parents house and drove out to the gorge.
The place was packed with people, as you can see above. Mostly because we chose a holiday week to go...
When I was in middle school a giant log jam fell and blocked part of the creek. You can still get to the other side by climbing over it, but I want to warn you that if you plan to do this-- it can get a bit slippery and you need to watch the kiddos. Jason and I saw a kid slip and get caught between two logs because he dropped his hat and was trying to reach it. (Don't worry, he was fine! And we helped him get his hat back)
Once we got around the log jam-- this gorgeous sight awaited us. I hadn't been here since college, and this was Jason's very first time going. I'd forgotten just how pretty it was!
The hike is pretty simple-- it's about a mile back, or less than a mile. I'm not completely sure because A.) This hike isn't included in my hiking book and B.) I didn't bring my phone to track our hike since it would have spent a majority of the time submerged in water.
Yep, there are points where we were walking in 4 feet of water-- and one point where we were armpit deep. It was cold, and amazing all at once.... plus, it was worth it once we got to the end.
Now, I hinted above about swimming near the waterfall. I'm going to put my "Mom hat" on here for a minute and warn: If you're not a strong swimmer, stay away from the waterfall! The current is incredibly strong, and I almost got pulled under when I got close.
People braver than I were climbing the rock above the waterfall to jump in... I settled for this:
We jumped off the small rocks next to the falls into a 7-foot pool below. It was exhilarating and fun! After swimming around a bit we headed back to the car, changed into some dry clothes and had a picnic at Crown Point before heading home.
It was a great trip, and I highly recommend this hike if it's hot in Portland! I know it's not technically in the book, but it's one of my favorite hikes-- so rules be damned!
Have you ever been creek walking? When, where and what did you think about it? Do you have a favorite spot? I'd love to hear from you-- leave your feedback below.
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