Celestial Falls

Celestial Falls are accessed within White River Falls State Park, located east of Tygh Valley between Maupin and The Dalles. Take Highway 197 south from The Dalles then turn east on Highway 216 (signed for White River Falls and Sherars Bridge). The park is found 4 miles from Highway 197. The trail leads downstream from the parking area to the bottom of the falls.Celestial Falls is the second step of the major falls of the White River, and was formerly considered to be part of White River Falls itself. The falls drop 41 feet over a uniform ledge, plunging into a large pool at the base of the formation, with White River Falls visible just 180 linear feet upstream. The falls feel oddly out of place in the gently undulating foothills on the east side of the Cascades near the town of Maupin. The White River originates on Mount Hood some 40 miles upstream, gathering lots of smaller tributaries as it rolls downhill towards its confluence with the Deschutes River. By the time it reaches the Tygh Valley its a fairly substantial river. Tygh Valley happens to be where the river intersects the plateau-like flood basalts that layer practically all of eastern Oregon and the resulting two-stepped waterfall serves as a harsh transition from peaceful farmlands on one side to a twisting, geologically storied canyon on the other. The falls being situated in an agricultural area resulted in it being harnessed for both hydroelectric production and irrigation use in the past. Upstream from White River Falls is the remnants of the diversion structures, which continue to redirect the majority of the river toward the old intake system for the now defuct hydroelectric plant located near the base of the falls. This causes much of the river to spill over a portion of White River Falls in a way which it would not naturally, however it has no impact on Celestial Falls itself.Until 2014, this waterfall had not been distinctly or officially recognized as separate from White River Falls. The falls have long been a popular location for whitewater kayakers, and had been affectionately (but unofficially) referred to as Celestial Falls for several decades. In 2014 the Oregon Board of Geographic Names chose to officially adopt this name for the falls. We do not agree that this naming convention is appropriate because White River Falls and Celestial Falls are neither visually nor geologically distinct enough to be considered separate waterfalls in our opinion, however the name Celestial is certainly a much better name than White River Falls. Greg Plumb's Waterfall Lover's Guide book has referred to this fall as Middle White River Falls.