Wah Gwin Gwin Falls

The falls are accessed from the Columbia Gorge Hotel, just west of downtown Hood River. Depart Interstate 84 at Exit 62 - Westcliffe Drive and find the hotel on the north side of the freeway. Park where allowed and follow the paths through the garden on the east side of the hotel to overlooks perched atop the falls.Wah Gwin Gwin Falls adorns the already elegant grounds of the posh Columbia Gorge Hotel in Hood River. Phelps Creek flows through beautifully landscaped gardens before spraying 207 feet into the Columbia River - though I have to call into question the claimed height. Eyeballing it from above is somewhat harder than from below, so I may just as easily be wrong, but really can't see the falls themselves being more than 120 feet tall, followed by steep cascades to the river below. A better feel for the size of the falls can be had from across the Columbia River, though a telephoto lens and neutral lighting would be needed for a good photo. The Hotel allows public access to the falls, but since it is private land, please be courteous and don't overstay your welcome.Wah Gwin Gwin is a Chinook Indian term meaning "rushing waters". It isn't known exactly when the falls were named. Originally the falls were known as Lullaby Falls, I suspect for the soft droning of water that would lull Hotel guests to sleep.