Upper Bridal Veil Falls

Upper Bridal Veil Falls is thought to be the uppermost of a series of waterfalls on Bridal Veil Creek as it descends from the west flank of Larch Mountain in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge. The falls plunge a sheer 80 feet over a broad basalt ledge, sheeting out 40-50 feet wide over the broad shelf at the top of the falls, depending on the flow present in the creek. Below the falls the creek slides down a long sliding cascade (which is unfortunately difficult to view in tandem with the falls). Bridal Veil Creek is one of the larger streams in the western side of the Columbia River Gorge. The basin above the falls covers an area of about 6.3 square miles and extends up to about the 3700 foot level on Larch Mountain. Though this isn't a terribly lofty elevation, ample winter snow does fall at that elevation, and coupled with the significant rainfall totals that the Columbia River Gorge receives during the winter and spring months, the creek is ensured a heavy flow for the majority of the year.In the early 1900s there was a logging operation situated on the west flanks of Larch Mountain. Bridal Veil Creek was utilized as a method of moving the logs downstream, in many places, with the assistance of a flume. Early photographs show this flume stringing down the falls on the right side of the canyon (no evidence could be seen of it today) and crossing the creek several times before reaching the mill below Bridal Veil Falls. Oddly, many of these photos incorrectly captioned this waterfall as Lower Bridal Veil Falls.