Twister Falls

Twister Falls is accessed from the Eagle Creek Trail near the Bonneville Dam in the Columbia River Gorge. Depart Interstate 84 at Eagle Creek (signed, but only accessible to eastbound traffic - westbounders need to turn around at the Bonneville Dam exit), turn left and proceed to the trailhead. Twister is passed just under approximately 6-1/4 miles from the trailhead and is impossible to miss after passing behind Tunnel Falls shortly downstream. Access to the base of the falls is possible but requires a steep, precarious scramble down a slope of very loose rocks that could easily torque an ankle.Twister Falls is arguably the most unique waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. Eagle Creek veils, plunges and twists a total of 147 feet in three distinct and very eclectic sections. The falls begin with a gradual sliding cascade that slides a total of 17 feet down several small benches before reaching the top of the second part of the falls and a small pool off to one side of the cliff. The second drop then immediately plunges 39 feet over a cliff with two channels carved into the rock which directs the majority of the water into distinct plumes of water which spray into and across one another mid-fall, resulting in a natural bow-tie shape. Immediately below this the creek gathers in a natural trough and plunges over the largest and final part of the falls, a 92-foot horsetail type fall which slams into a protruding rock just before reaching the large pool at its foot in the basin below. Viewing the falls in entirety is unfortunately very difficult due to the way the trail approaches the falls, carved precariously into the adjacent cliff, but the intimacy factor certainly makes up for visibility issues. Exercise caution where the trail approaches the top of the falls, there are no protective railings to safeguard against falling into the gorge.This waterfall was never named by the USGS, and due to its proximity to nearby Tunnel Falls, it receives a fair amount of attention, so there have been many names applied to it over the years - most of which revolve around a descriptive of the upper tier of the falls. Crossover, Crisscross, Bowtie and Eagle Creek Falls are all common namings - the latter appearing in A Waterfall Lovers Guide to the Pacific Northwest. The most accepted name, however, is Twister Falls.