Beaver Falls is a 48-foot curtain waterfall on Beaver Creek in Columbia County, Oregon, about 4 miles from Clatskanie. The creek spreads to roughly 40 feet wide and pours in a single sheet into a natural amphitheater of layered basalt, a short walk below the old highway route.
The falls
The World Waterfall Database, surveyed in person, puts the drop at a single 48 feet, about 40 feet wide. The creek races through a 40-foot-wide chute before it sheets over the rim into the basalt bowl. A small seasonal tributary plunges into the same gorge beside the main falls in the wet season. Douglas fir, western red-cedar, western hemlock and big-leaf maple shade the canyon, over sword fern, Oregon grape and salal.
Getting there
US 30 runs about 52 miles northwest from Portland to Beaver Falls Road, then 3.6 miles up that road to a large dirt turnout on the left. From there, the trail drops to the base in about a quarter mile; Hikespeak measures the round trip at 0.7 mile with 100 feet of elevation change, roughly 15 minutes of walking. The path is rocky and uneven. There is no fee, pass or permit. There is a fenced viewpoint about a third of a mile farther up the road; slides have damaged the lower trail and closed it temporarily at times.
When to go
The creek flows all year. November to May is the best season, when the tributary fall is running too; the maples are a draw in autumn.
On site
A route behind the falls, crossing the creek on rocks and logs, is only practical at low water. Near the falls the trail gets wetter, muddier and more slippery, and rocky cliffs line the path, so sure footing matters. Dogs are allowed, and the walk is suitable for children. The frame of an old car sits in the plunge pool.
History and name
The road above the falls was once the route of Highway 30 between Portland and Astoria, and the falls drew far more passing traffic before the highway was moved inland.
Nearby
Upper Beaver Falls is about 1.4 miles away on Beaver Creek. Fall Creek Falls is about 4.3 miles away, and Clatskanie Falls about 7 miles. Across the Columbia in Washington, Stella Falls is about 6 miles away.
Distances are straight-line.