Loowit Falls

Loowit Falls is located along the Eagle Creek trail in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area. Driving east along Interstate 84, exit at the Eagle Creek exit, one mile past the Bonneville Dam exit (immediately after a short tunnel) - this is only accessible to eastbound traffic (if you are driving west, exit and turn around at Exit 40 (Bonneville Dam), then to return to your westbound direction, do the same at Cascade Locks). Turn right at the end of the off-ramp and proceed to the trailhead at the end of the road in about 1/2 mile. The viewpoint for Loowit Falls is located about 3.2 miles along the trail, 1.1 mile past the upper viewpoint for Punch Bowl Falls, and about 500 feet downstream from High Bridge.Loowit Falls is the first major tributary waterfall which can be seen unobstructed along the Eagle Creek Trail. While the trail passes both Wauna and Sorenson Falls before reaching this point, both are heavily obstructed by the surrounding forest, while Loowit Falls is visible from a section of the trail blasted into the side of a cliff shortly before arriving at High Bridge. The falls drop a total of 88 feet directly into Eagle Creek, first as a narrow horsetail-type fall of 78 feet, followed by a 10-foot side as the creek slips out of a small pool and merges with Eagle Creek in between sections of a small cascade on Eagle Creek itself. Multiple views of Loowit Falls are afforded from the trail as it traverses a catwalk blasted into the side of the cliff, including a stunning view looking 100 feet straight down on the calm stream as it exits the High Bridge gorge with the falls in the background. Like other sections of the trail which have been blasted into the side of cliffs, there is little protection here save for a cable hand rail bolted to the uphill side of the trail, so use appropriate caution and keep kids on a short leash.In one of the various local Native American lores (likely one of the Sahaptin tribes who lived along the Columbia River) Loowit was an old woman who tendered an eternal fire burning on the Bridge of the Gods, who upon death transformed into Mount St. Helens (which is also known as Loowit in most local Native American dialects).