Upper Ruckel Creek Falls is a 100-foot waterfall on Ruckel Creek in Hood River County, Oregon, in the Cascades region. It lies about 2.3 miles south of Cascade Locks and roughly 27.4 miles east of Gresham as the crow flies.
At 100 feet it stands in the tallest quarter of Oregon’s 425 waterfalls with a recorded height, ranking 106th; the typical Oregon waterfall is about 54 feet. By form it is a plunge, where the water drops vertically and loses contact with the rock face.
The Cascades are a high volcanic range of snow-capped peaks, deep glacial valleys and dense conifer forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock and true firs, with abundant rain and snow on the western slopes. Basalt cliffs and lava flows give the region one of the highest concentrations of waterfalls in the country. Ruckel Creek carries 4 recorded waterfalls, and Upper Ruckel Creek Falls is the tallest of them.
Hood River County holds 133 recorded waterfalls, and several are close by. Middle Ruckel Creek Falls, a 68-foot plunge waterfall, is under a mile away. Mossy Grotto Falls, is under a mile away. Wauna Falls, is under a mile away.
Upper Ruckel Creek Falls is located at 45.6372° N, 121.9011° W. The listing is based on the World Waterfall Database, one of the sources compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey in its inventory of waterfalls and rapids of the conterminous United States. The creek name is confirmed against the federal Geographic Names Information System. The exact position has not yet been verified on aerial imagery, so treat the map pin as approximate. Details on trails, parking and access have not been documented for this waterfall yet.