Hardy Falls

Located in Beacon Rock State Park, on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. From the intersection of Highways 205 and 14 in Vancouver, drive east along Highway 14 for about 28 miles to Beacon Rock State Park. Turn left at the sign for the campground, and proceed 1/3 of a mile to the parking lot for the Hamilton Mountain trailhead. There may be a parking fee. Hike up the well graded, but constantly climbing Hamilton Mountain trail for 1.3 miles, to the marked spur leading shortly to the viewpoint of the falls. To reach the base of the falls, backtrack a short distance down the trail, and climb down the steep slopes to the desired view.Hardy Falls is the larger, and lower of the two major waterfalls along Hardy Creek in Beacon Rock State Park. The falls are quite pretty, and in high water, rather impressive. Unfortunately, the developed viewpoint has several disadvantages. It's perched about 200 feet above the creek, so the falls are somewhat distant, and there are two big trees, each contributing a branch or two to obstructing the falls. Reaching the base of the 90 foot falls is possible with some effort, and should any serious photographer seek this waterfall out, I recommend taking the extra time to do so.