Upper Whale Creek Falls is a waterfall on Whale Creek in Clackamas County, Oregon, in the Cascades region, with a total height of about 260 feet. It lies about 17.2 miles southeast of Estacada and roughly 31.6 miles southeast of Gresham as the crow flies.
At 260 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Oregon’s 425 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 18th; the typical Oregon waterfall is about 54 feet.
The Cascades are a high volcanic range of snow-capped peaks, deep glacial valleys and dense conifer forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock and true firs, with abundant rain and snow on the western slopes. Basalt cliffs and lava flows give the region one of the highest concentrations of waterfalls in the country. Whale Creek carries 3 recorded waterfalls, and Upper Whale Creek Falls is the tallest of them.
There are 117 recorded waterfalls in Clackamas County. Middle Whale Creek Falls, 70 feet high, is under a mile away. Lower Whale Creek Falls, is under a mile away. Double Falls, 38 feet high, is about 1.5 miles away.
Upper Whale Creek Falls is located at 45.1076° N, 122.0921° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.