Upper Latourell Falls is a 120-foot horsetail waterfall on Latourell Creek in Guy W. Talbot State Park, Multnomah County, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. It sits in a shaded side canyon about half a mile above the better-known Latourell Falls, and the loop trail from the Historic Columbia River Highway crosses the creek right at its foot.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database, which surveyed it in person, describes a domed slide that empties straight into a 120-foot horsetail, wide at the top and narrowing into a powerful plunge, about 15 feet across on average. Other descriptions give 134 feet in two tiers, with an upper step almost hidden behind the rock and a plunge into a pool below.
Getting there
Park at the Latourell Falls trailhead on the Historic Columbia River Highway, reached from I-84 exit 22 at Corbett by heading up Corbett Hill Road and 4.7 miles along the Historic Highway. An overflow lot is 0.3 mile away at lower Guy Talbot State Park. Since March 30, 2026, parking requires a day-use permit: $10 a day for residents or $12 for nonresidents, with annual permits also valid. Visitors arriving on foot, by bike or by transit don't need one.
The route climbs a steep paved path past the viewpoints above Latourell Falls, then continues on dirt through cedar and fir forest, reaching the upper falls just under a mile from the trailhead. The full loop measures 2.4 miles with 600 feet of gain, rated moderate, with rocky stretches and four small wooden bridges. The loop returns down the opposite bank and finishes along the shoulder of the Historic Highway, so watch for traffic.
When to go
Latourell Creek drains a small basin. Winter and spring bring the best flow, and the falls lose much of their force in autumn.
On site
A footbridge crosses the creek just below the falls, close enough to feel the spray. Dogs are allowed on a leash, and the trailhead has restrooms. The loop is suitable for families.
History and name
The upper falls and part of the trail lie in George W. Joseph State Natural Area, land the Joseph family gave to the state in 1934 and 1942. The rest of the park began with the Talbot family's donation of their summer estate in 1929, as recorded by Oregon State Parks.
Nearby
Latourell Falls is 0.5 mile downstream on the same loop. Shepperds Dell Falls is about 1.6 miles away on the Historic Highway, and Bridal Veil Falls about 2.6 miles.
Distances are straight-line.