Horseshoe Falls is a 15-foot block waterfall on the East Fork Lewis River in Clark County, Washington, about 6.2 miles southeast of Yacolt. The river drops over a single broad ledge, and in 2024 Columbia Land Trust conserved the site, calling it the last major unprotected waterfall on the East Fork.
The falls
The river splits into several channels at the lip and drops about 15 feet in one step, per lidar data. Earlier surveys listed 22 feet, the figure still quoted by paddlers. Among kayakers it is the final drop of the East Fork's Falls Section, which runs down from Sunset Falls and is rated class IV with a class V rapid; the Professor Paddle guide rates Horseshoe Falls itself IV–V.
Getting there
Columbia Land Trust manages the falls and the land around them. A public trail, parking area or visiting hours for the site aren't documented; check with the Land Trust before going. The bank on river left is private property.
When to go
Paddlers run the section between about 900 and 2,500 cfs on the East Fork Lewis River gauge. The river above the falls is closed to fishing to protect its wild steelhead.
On site
Kayakers scout from the island at the top of the falls. The far right channel drops onto a pile of rocks that can pin a boat; lower flows favor the second channel and higher flows the third.
History and name
The 2024–2025 conservation report records the purchase of 21 acres and half a mile of shoreline, with support from Clark County Legacy Lands and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. The project helps steelhead pass upriver to their spawning habitat.
Nearby
Sunset Falls is about 2.7 miles away, at the head of the Falls Section. Naked Falls, 3.7 miles away, and Moulton Falls, 4.3 miles away, are also on the East Fork Lewis River.
Distances are straight-line.