Latourell Falls plunges 249 feet over columnar basalt cliffs. Latourell is a very beautiful and accessible waterfall, and so it's one of the most popular sights in the Columbia River Gorge.
A pleasant 2 mile loop trail starts upward from the parking lot and follows the creek through a lush canyon to Upper Latourell Falls. The trail then returns down the other side of the creek to the highway, passing under an unusual bigleaf maple tree on the way. Latourell Falls is in Guy W. Talbot State Park, but the upper valley is part of George W. Joseph State Natural Area.
Another trail leads from the parking lot down to the base of the falls. This trail crosses a footbridge below the falls and continues downstream about a quarter mile to a large, underused picnic area and the tiny, virtually unnoticed town of Latourell. Most visitors to the falls and the lower trail never have a clue that the town exists, which probably suits the residents.
The waterfall and the town are named after Joseph Latourell, an early settler and prominent citizen who was known for his hospitality and skill with the violin. The Latourell family was famous for the weekly dances they hosted at their home in the late 1800s. These events drew visitors who came by rowboat and riverboat from as far away as Camas to the west and Cascade Locks to the east.
Latourell founded the town in the 19th century to service the steamboats that provided transportation and moved freight in the Gorge. With no local coal supply, the Gorge sternwheelers burned cordwood in large quantities. Several small towns like Latourell sprang up along the river to supply fuel to these riverboats. Sadly, much of the original forest in the Gorge went up their smokestacks.
Directions: Latourell Falls is the westernmost major waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge. From downtown Portland, travel east on I-84 20 miles to Exit 22. Drive 1.6 miles uphill to Corbett. Turn left on Highway 30, the Historic Columbia River Highway and drive east 5.1 miles. Just after crossing a long, narrow bridge, the parking lot is on the right and is well-marked with a sign. Either walk up the short steep path near the west end of the parking lot for an elevated vista of the falls, or follow a paved trail from the west end of the lot near the highway bridge which leads to the base of the falls.
