Panther Creek Falls, WA

Overview
This is a super short and easy hike to an out of the way waterfall in Southern Washington. Although the Oregon side of the Columbia Gorge appears to have been crowned champion of waterfalls for the Portland/Vancouver area, this hike is definitely worth going out of the way to visit.


Hike
The trail itself is not readily visible from the gravel parking lot. Begin by walking west along the road about 100 yards and look for a small well worn path that will descend from the north side of the road towards the creek. There is a small sign posted in the trees, but it is very hard to spot.The trail drops quickly as it switchbacks down towards the creek. You will most likely hear the waterfall before it comes into view. Within minutes you should arrive at the viewing platform above the waterfall. Make sure you keep any children or pets within arms reach- you don't want them to wander past the guard rails and into the rushing creek.

Warning
If you are the adventurous type, there are several use paths that descend to the area below the falls. However, the paths are extremely steep and very slippery. The path that I followed to the bottom of the falls used a rock wall to descend 15 feet and was very slick and could have resulted in a pretty nasty fall. There is no cell service in this area to call for help and the falls don't see many visitors. Use at your own risk.

2014-04-28 keepmoving