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.
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