Eagle Creek is a creek located in

Hood River County, Oregon Hood River County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 23,977. The county seat is Hood River. The county was established in 1908 and is named for the Hood River, a tributary of th ...

, in the

Columbia River Gorge The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to deep, the canyon stretches for over as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the st ...

. A tributary of the Columbia River, the creek flows for approximately from the Thrush Pond between Eagle Butte and Tanner Butte to its mouth near

Bonneville Dam Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon ...

. The East Fork Eagle Creek is a major tributary that begins at Wahtum Lake and joins the main stem approximately 2/3 the way between the Thrush Pond and the Columbia River, separated by Indian Mountain.

Drainage basin

The Eagle Creek drainage basin is the largest of any creek in the western or central Gorge. The watershed is bounded by Tanner Ridge to the west, the Benson Plateau and Chinidere Mountain to the east, and Indian Mountain and Waucoma Ridge to the south. Another major tributary is Opal Creek, flowing from Tanner Butte to just above Tenas Falls.

Waterfalls

Eagle creek is notable for its numerous waterfalls. From the mouth upstream, the most notable are

Metlako Falls Metlako Falls is a waterfall on Eagle Creek in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is the furthest downstream of the major waterfalls on Eagle Creek. Like upstream Punch Bowl Falls, Metlak ...

, Punch Bowl Falls, Skoonichuk Falls, Grand Union Falls, Twister Falls, and Sevenmile Falls. Noteworthy waterfalls on Eagle Creek's many tributaries include Sorenson Falls, Loowit Falls, Four Mile Falls, Tenas Falls, Wy'east Falls, and Tunnel Falls.

Eagle Creek Bridge

The Eagle Creek Bridge is a contributing structure in the

Columbia River Highway Historic District The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately scenic highway in the U.S. state of Oregon between Troutdale and The Dalles, built through the Columbia River Gorge between 1913 and 1922. As the first planned scenic roadway in the United ...

, which was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

in 1983. It is self-evidently a

closed spandrel An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ( ...

arch bridge An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side. A viaduct ...

Recreation

Eagle Creek is an extremely popular recreation destination. The Eagle Creek Trail #440 runs for along the creek from the

Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

to a junction with the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

near Wahtum Lake, and its lower reaches comprise one of the most popular trails in the Gorge. Multiple other trails are also present on the surrounding ridges and mountains, providing connections to the rest of the Gorge's trail network.

History

A bridge across Eagle Creek to carry the Oregon Portage Railroad, the first railroad in Oregon. The Eagle Creek watershed was severely impacted by the Eagle Creek Fire of 2017, which started near Punch Bowl Falls after a 15-year-old threw a firecracker into the canyon following a prolonged period without precipitation. Due to the increased risk of landslides, debris flows, and other hazards, recreation in the area was closed until January 2021. The trail briefly reopened, but was closed again after two weeks after landslides caused by heavy rain.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Columbia River Gorge Rivers of Oregon Rivers of Hood River County, Oregon Mount Hood National Forest Tributaries of the Columbia River