Latourell Falls is the first big waterfall you come to after leaving Crown Point. Two short trails lead to good viewing spots of this 249-foot waterfall. It is named for an early settler.
We who live near the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area are fortunate indeed to have areas of such natural beauty under everlasting protection for our enjoyment.
Now, lets walk up the trail for a little less than a mile, to see Upper Latourell Falls, in all its glory.
And if you stand in just the right place, and look way up, behind the falls you see another falls!
Back down the trail, you pass under one of the lovely old bridges of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Now one more thing. Notice the successive lava flows which make up the mountains in this area. The Columbia River Gorge is a story of successive lava flows and numerous devastating floods, about one each Ice Age, from the melting of Lake Missoula behind the Spokane Ice Dam a few hundred miles to the northeast. Geologists say the river here was 400' deep (110 meters) for a few days.
Here's another shot of Latourell Falls, in Don's Favorite Photos. Click the back button to return here.
©D.L. Mark 1999-2007
©D.L. Mark 1999