Skoonichuk Falls drops 48 feet in two tiers on Eagle Creek in Hood River County, Oregon, along the Eagle Creek Trail in the Columbia River Gorge.
The falls
An upper channel plunges 32 feet into a rock alcove, and a lower ledge drops 16 feet more into a pool, for a surveyed total of 48 feet. Boaters describe the same two drops as roughly 40 and 15 feet. The creek is fed by springs and keeps a good flow year-round. The trail here runs through a basalt canyon, and a cliff on the east side of the creek rises 400 feet.
Getting there
The Forest Service manages Eagle Creek Trail #440. From I-84 eastbound, take Exit 41, turn right after 0.1 mile, and continue 0.4 mile to the trailhead. Parking costs $5 per vehicle per day or a valid recreation pass, and dogs must be leashed. Skoonichuk Falls sits 3.5 miles one way up the trail; a short user path near Tenas Camp reaches a view from the top, though it is not a maintained platform. No reservations are taken for this trailhead.
When to go
Flow stays good year-round thanks to the creek's spring sources, but Eagle Creek can be crowded on summer weekends.
On site
Rocks around the falls are slick, and exposed sections of trail have sheer, unguarded drops; the route is not recommended for children or anyone uncomfortable with heights. More than 150 hikers were rescued from this trail system during the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.
History and name
Eagle Creek Trail was built in 1915. Skoonichuk is treated as the falls' official name, drawn from Chinook, though its exact translation has not been settled.
Nearby
Four Mile Falls is about 0.2 mile away, Benson Falls about 0.3 mile, Upper Loowit Falls about 0.4 mile, and Tenas Falls also about 0.4 mile.
Distances are straight-line.