My friend and I started out early in the morning, especially since we are traveling from WA. We knew it will be long hike to Tunnel Falls. Otherwise, it was good weather, mostly sunny, slightly chilly in the AM as one would expect. There was one bridge that was out of order. Appears that branches had fallen on it. However, it did not stop us, as we were able to maneuver around it, or I should say "under" it. It wasn't too much of a drop, and there were others there that were able to make it safely to the other side. There is a cable that you could hold on to, as far as walking on the rocky parts, that could be slippery if wet. Hold on to your children and encourage to hold on! Upon reaching Tunnel Falls, you could also walk through a tunnel that goes behind the falls. Sat on the edge and ate our lunch there with the falls as our view. Otherwise, the path was clear. So start early if you want to enjoy without other people's company. At Tunnel Falls, there was some people that were able to climb to the bottom of the falls, steep though. However, there was a sighting of a Cougar in the area that was reported by other hikers. We were already on our way back from Tunnel Falls (making it at the end). We just followed along with other hikers, making our group "bigger", safer in numbers and had our whistles and knives ready, just in case. Otherwise, good amount of people around, and it did get more "crowded" in the afternoon. Altogether, I would totally make this hike again!

This was my 2nd time hiking Eagle Creek Trail. The first time I went with different friends and we ended up only getting to Punchbowl Falls because they didn't want to continue past the broken down bridge. The bridge is what is scaring people away from this hike right now, but in reality it's really easy to manoeuvre under it and continue on the trail. Around the 2 mile mark into the hike the first bridge was broken down by a fallen tree and no one is sure when it'll be fixed. But if you hike under where the bridge is you can very easily cross a small creek and keep going. My biggest tip after doing this hike is get there VERY early. We arrived around 1:30pm which wasn't a good idea for a Saturday at all. There were so many cars we had to park 1 mile away from the beginning of the trailhead and we still barely found a spot. Also make sure you bring plenty of water and give yourself a lot of time to complete this hike. We hiked all the way to Tunnel Falls which is 12 miles round trip (6 miles to the falls) and it took us about 7 hours total to do it all. This was definitely the longest hike I've yet to do and I sure felt it when I was done. My feet have never been more sore in my entire life. Other than the length of the hike, it was fairly flat. There weren't any killer inclines, you barely even notice you're walking slightly uphill. It's such a gradual incline that you don't realize how high up you are until you've reached the top. It is definitely the most beautiful hike I've ever done. Along the trail as far as we got we passed so many waterfalls big and small. I'd say at least 6. The trail is very mossy, and has a wet rainforest type of feel to it; very gorgeous. The trail conditions vary as you get father into it. You'll cross many bridges and multiple rock build ups where you have to climb around and over large rock gatherings that aren't too bad. It can be slippery at times with how wet it gets along the path so be careful! The hike alone is amazing, but as you continue father you get to see better and better stuff. You reach High Bridge at about 3.3 miles into the hike and you can look down at the gorge.You keep going and you'll eventually reach Tunnel Falls. Let me tell you, that falls is like nothing I've ever seen in my entire life. As you approach it, you see how huge it is. You walk along the path until you reach the carved out cave tunnel that was man-made behind the waterfall. You enter it's mossy wonderland opening and you come out the other end right next to the massive waterfall. Just standing at the tunnel opening you get slightly sprayed by the fall's mist. You can keep going along the slim cliff side trail that's next to the waterfall. It gives you a better view of it and most people like to take pictures at that point. We headed back after our photos were taken there. Anything after that I believe is the backpacking overnight camping part of the trail. This hike was truly beautiful, I'd recommend everyone doing this trail at least once in their lives. Probably not a good hike for young children or pets considering its along cliff sides a good chunk of the time (even though we saw both throughout the hike). Be prepared for a long hike if your destination is Tunnel Falls, and don't forget the camera!! Loved this trail so much!

Eagle Creek was one of my favorite hikes I've ever done and I didn't even get anywhere near the best parts of the trail!! My 2 other friends and I drove all the way down to this hike from Seattle, WA and it was everything I was hoping for. I went with the intention of at least getting to the High Bridge point along the trail, with dreaming of reaching Tunnel Falls. Unfortunately I didn't see either of those :( First of all, it was raining the day we went, so my friends were worried about the trail being slippery. We got a little past Punch Bowl Falls where the first bridge was and learned that it was broken down from a fallen tree. Although it was unusable, people were still able to go under where the bridge was and cross a small creek to be able to keep going. Unluckily for me, my friends didn't want to cross the creek because they were uncomfortable with the safety of it, so we ended up turning around and going back after only getting 2 miles into the trial. Even though I only seen 2 miles of this 6 mile hike, what I saw was worth the 3 hour drive. Right away after only hiking for a few minutes you'll reach the part of the trail where cliff side walkways begin. There is wire attached to the rock wall for those who feel more comfortable holding onto something while walking along the cliff edge. For me personally, I LOVED the feeling of walking along the edge of the Columbia River Gorge and the rush of adrenaline you get when next to cliffs like that. The trail was beautifully bright green like a rain forest which I also loved. Even in the rain, and with the muddy ground, this hike was amazing, maybe the rain made it more fun as well! I definitely recommend this hike to adrenaline junkies and anyone who likes the fulfilling feeling of hikes with risky cliffs. It was beautiful the whole way through, lots of bright green mossy sights, multiple waterfalls as you keep going along the trail, and you'll eventually reach a point in the trail where you go through a short tunnel the goes right behind a giant waterfall. I really wanted to get to that point, but I will definitely be going back soon to do the whole trail. Don't recommend doing this hike with kids or pets (even though I seen both during my hike). The edges and trail conditions are too risky for my liking to bring kids or dogs with you. I'd recommend going a day when it's nice out and early in the day because I've heard it's really popular and will get busy fast. Beware of the broken down bridge if you don't like risking getting across another way. I'm not sure when the bridge will be fixed, but it is still passable to go under it and cross the creek.

I camped at Eagle Creek campground the night before so arrived at the trailhead around 7:25am. The hike to Tunnel Falls took about 3 hours, and we saw just a handful of people also on their way. There were three waterways to cross, including where the bridge had broken, but none presented major challenges. The trail itself was somewhat rocky, with elevation I'd describe as gently upward. Tunnel Falls is completely worth the hike. It's gorgeous, but a little cool once you get there, so pack layers. We had lunch at a calm spot on the water around mile 6. There was more trail traffic on our way back. Round trip was about 6 hours. Would recommend caution on the trail if it is wet or rain is expected -- some spots seem like they could be very slippery and some of the trail is against a sheer drop. I'd also recommend camping along the trail rather than at Eagle Creek Campground if you're able -- the car camping is just off the highway and can be a bit noisy.

After a three hour drive, we arrived at the Eagle Creek trailhead just in time to eat our lunch before starting our hike. We hiked along the blasted out trail on the canyon wall, past the lower punchbowl and then the upper punchbowl. We kept going past an even prettier waterfall before arriving at the high bridge. We walked another half mile past more waterfalls until a turnaround point at creekside. There were lots of wildflowers in bloom and plenty of sunshine and plenty of people. This is a truly gorgeous hike, and I am happy to see it here on the WTA database, even if it is in nearby Oregon. More pictures at the link below: