Starvation Creek Falls is a 270-foot tiered waterfall on Starvation Creek in Hood River County, Oregon, falling within sight of the parking lot at Starvation Creek State Park in the Columbia River Gorge. A boardwalk leads to it from the lot, just off Interstate 84.
The falls
The creek leaves a narrow channel and drops into a natural rock bowl, then continues in lower cascades past the picnic area toward the Columbia River. In-person surveys count three drops totaling 270 feet, with the tallest drop reaching 141 feet, while earlier surveys listed 227 feet across two drops. A large boulder partly hides the lower tier from the viewpoint, and at high water the lower falls split around it.
Getting there
The park sits off I-84 between Cascade Locks and Hood River, and its lot can be reached only from the eastbound lanes. A walkway leads to the falls about 50 to 300 feet from parking. A day-use parking permit is required and can be bought on site: $10 a day for Oregon residents and $12 for nonresidents, or $60 and $75 for a 12-month permit. Federal recreation passes are not accepted. The Starvation Ridge Cut-Off trail has been closed by a washout since August 7, 2023, though the falls themselves remain open.
The park is also a trailhead for the paved Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, which runs east 1 mile to Viento State Park and west 4.6 miles to Wyeth.
When to go
The falls flow year-round. Fire restrictions posted in July 2026 ban most open flames in the park.
On site
Picnic tables look out on the falls, and the site has been redeveloped with a concrete walkway and accessible facilities. Dogs must stay on a leash no longer than 6 feet. An informal path across the creek gives little better view of the hidden lower tier.
History and name
Historical accounts give two explanations for the name: pioneer parties who nearly starved here, or "Starveout," after Union Pacific trains stranded by heavy snow in the winter of 1884–1885.
Nearby
Heading west on the state trail, Cabin Creek Falls is about 0.4 mile away, Hole-In-The-Wall Falls is about 0.7 mile away, and Lancaster Falls is about 0.9 mile away. The Mount Defiance Trail starts near Hole-In-The-Wall Falls.
Distances are straight-line.