Eagle Creek V-V+

Eagle Creek is located in the Columbia river gorge, about 40 minutes east of Portland. The trail is a popular destination for hikers and waterfall gazers, as well as kayakers looking to huck. The hike-in is 4 miles on a well maintained and fairly mellow trail that in some places runs beneath miniature waterfalls coming off the canyon walls. After a mile or so, you will catch a glimpse of 90 foot Metlako Falls. Just past this is Punchbowl Falls, a 30 foot drop that proved to pack a good punch. After several more miles we crossed a bridge in the narrowest part of the gorge and then saw Skoonichuck Falls around the bend. This drop is the put-in for the run and consists of a 35-40 foot drop followed immediately by a nice 15 foot ledge. 

Punchbowl Falls as seen from the trail.

Megan Harpham on the hike-in. Photo courtesy of Chris Baer

Orion Meredith and Crisler Torrence demonstrate the mystery carry.

Crisler Torrence probing Skoonichuck Falls on his birthday bash. photo: Chris Baer

Dustin Stoenner rolling into the same drop.  photo: Chris Baer

Dustin hitting a sweet boof on the second tier of the double drop. photo: Chris Baer

Martin Belden melting into Skoonichuck Falls. photo: Chris Baer

Chris Baer on the same drop. 

Martin on a nice boof somewhere in the gorge.

The crew in the Eagle Creek gorge. photo: Chris Baer

Chris Baer goin for the log grind. 

Martin boofin away at Punchbowl Falls, and getting ready for a hard hit. photo: Chris Baer

Orion Meredith going for the sweet melt. photo: Chris Baer

Megan Harpham. Swimming? Nope, just a white boat. photo: Chris Baer

Dustin Stoenner comin in hot. photo: Chris Baer

Eagle Creek trailhead is located at exit 41 on I-84 heading east. There is no west-bound exit, as we found out only too late, and drove 20 miles past the off ramp. This run is a fun hike and huck mission, but a bit of a novelty run as well. Between the put-in drop and Punchbowl there are a handful of fun slides and boofs as well as one cool mini gorge, but mostly the rapids are shallow class 2 boogie water. Even so, this run is awesome and definitely worth the hike all the way in to the upper double drop. I highly recommend this run to anyone lookin to huck some of Oregon's finest.