Celestial Falls is a 41-foot plunge waterfall on the White River in Wasco County, Oregon, in White River Falls State Park near Tygh Valley. It is the lower step of White River Falls, named as a separate waterfall only in 2014.
The falls
A single 41-foot plunge about 20 feet wide, some 180 feet downstream of the main drop of White River Falls, is surveyed in person. Other published figures run slightly higher: about 44 feet in the federal naming proposal and 45 feet in a regional hiking guide. Here the White River cuts through the flood basalts that underlie much of eastern Oregon, turning from open farmland into a canyon. The river runs all year, averaging about 600 cfs in its high months and 125 cfs when low.
Getting there
The falls share the parking area and paths of White River Falls State Park, which charges no day-use fee and is open all year for day use. From November 1 to mid-March the main lot and flush restrooms close and the gate is shut, so winter visitors walk in. A short, steep and rocky trail with about 150 feet of elevation change drops into the canyon, rated for advanced hikers. A walk to all three White River falls runs about 1 mile round trip. The best view of Celestial Falls is near the abandoned power plant.
When to go
Spring brings the strongest flow; by autumn the river drops.
On site
Swimming is not advised because the river currents are deadly and unpredictable, and kayaking is not permitted at White River Falls or Celestial Falls. In July 2012 a 15-year-old and a 26-year-old drowned at White River Falls, just upstream, after falling while trying to climb behind the water for a photo. Standing or climbing on cliff edges and the historic structures is prohibited.
History and name
The falls were long counted as the second tier of White River Falls, also known as Tygh Valley Falls and Middle White River Falls. A rafting guide called it Celestial Pool Falls around 1993, later shortened; the Oregon Board of Geographic Names adopted Celestial Falls in 2014. The hydroelectric plant beside the falls supplied Wasco and Sherman counties from 1910 to 1963.
Nearby
White River Falls is directly upstream, and Lower White River Falls is about 0.2 mile downstream. Sherars Falls on the Deschutes River is about 3 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.