Tamanawas Falls

Easy

3.8 miles round trip

500 feet elevation gain

Open late April through November

The Northwest Indians believed everyone has a tamanawas—a friendly guardian spirit. Tamanawas Falls seems as though it might be Mt. Hood’s guardian, an inspiring 100-foot curtain of white water in a green canyon at the mountain’s eastern base.

The path to the falls is a delight, with scenic footbridges and lots of access to mossy-banked Cold Spring Creek. There’s even a pack of cute golden-mantled ground squirrels at the waterfall viewpoint for extra entertainment. Drive Highway . . .

Other Options

Most hikers return from Tamanawas Falls as they came, but if you’d like to return on a . . .

This chapter taken from the book 100 Hikes: Northwest Oregon