Ramona Falls is a 120-foot horsetail waterfall on Ramona Creek in the Mount Hood Wilderness, Clackamas County, Oregon, on the west side of Mount Hood. It sits in forest along the Pacific Crest Trail at the end of a loop hike that starts with a ford of the glacial Sandy River.
The falls
The falls measure about 120 feet tall overall, descending as a broad wall of cascades rather than a single plunge. The water fans out over a cliff of columnar basalt, stepping from column to column, with moss covering many of the ledges. The creek is spring-fed and drains to the Sandy River.
Getting there
The hike starts at the Ramona Falls Trailhead in Mount Hood National Forest. Parking costs $5 a day or an accepted forest pass, and a free wilderness permit is self-issued at the trailhead. The loop spans about 7 miles round trip with 1,000 to 1,035 feet of elevation gain. The trail crosses the Sandy River without a footbridge, and the crossing can be rough depending on seasonal runoff.
When to go
The access road is gated from December 1 to April 1. Photographers have shot the falls before direct sun reaches the canyon, for even light.
On site
The Sandy River is a glacial stream that can rise quickly. In August 2014 a flash flood washed out the seasonal bridge, leading to the death of a 34-year-old hiker. Check the water level before fording and turn back if it appears high.
History and name
A 1977 obituary in The Sandy Post recorded that John E. Mills named the falls on August 8, 1933, after a song linked to courting the woman he later married.
Nearby
Sandy River Falls is about 1 mile away, an unnamed waterfall about 1.5 miles, and Lower Rushingwater Falls on Rushingwater Creek about 1.7 miles.
Distances are straight-line.