On the Trail
See one spectacular waterfall with a short walk, or three more waterfalls on a longer bike ride or hike. The easiest-to-see waterfall is 227-foot Starvation Creek Falls, viewable via a 0.1-mile walk at Starvation Creek Park, possibly the most scenic rest area in Oregon.
Or see all four waterfalls on a flat, 5.6-mile round-trip hike or ride on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, from Viento State Park to Lindsey Creek.
Permits & Pets
The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail and Viento and Starvation Creek State Parks are managed by Oregon State Parks. No passes are required at Starvation Creek. An Oregon State Parks pass is required at Viento. Dogs must be on a leash no more than 6 feet long.
Trail Notes
- From Viento State Park, find the State Trail at the west end of the day use parking area. Ride or walk west to Starvation Creek Falls and three other waterfalls.
- If you start at Starvation Creek State Park, the path to Starvation Creek Falls begins behind the restrooms. Interpretive panels give the backstory to the intriguing name. From here, walk west on the State Trail to the three waterfalls.
- First, come to Cabin Creek Falls (220 feet in two drops), on Cabin Creek.
- Next is manmade Hole-in-the-Wall Falls (96 feet in two drops) on Warren Creek. It has an unusual origin. In 1939, debris carried by Warren Creek had damaged the Historic Columbia River Highway bridge over the creek. Rather than move or reinforce the bridge, highway engineers decided to move Warren Creek Falls, which was located upstream of the bridge. A tunnel to divert Warren Creek was blasted into the cliff, Hole-in-the-Wall Falls was born, and Warren Creek Falls went dry, thousands of years after it first began dropping off the cliff.
- The next waterfall to the west is Lancaster Falls on Wonder Creek. It drops 303 feet, but only the lowest parts of it can be seen from the trail.
- Until completion of the State Trail’s next section to the west—Lindsey Creek to Wyeth—the trail ends at the bridge over Lindsey Creek. From the creek, return to your starting point via the same route.
- Please always stay on the trail and clean your boots before and after you hike. Hikers are a common vector for spreading invasive seeds.
- Restrooms are east of the parking area, at the campground.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge does not track trail closures. If you are planning a hike in the Gorge, please check other sources in advance for the latest updates, including the U.S Forest Service, Ready Set GOrge, and AllTrails. Recreational activities in the Gorge can involve risk of injury, death, property damage, and other dangers. Friends does not assume responsibility for any such outcome resulting from the use of the information on our hiking web pages. Your use of these web pages is strictly at your own risk.
Post-Hike Explorations
Visit Viento State Park’s beach to watch kiteboarders, wade, or swim. From the day use parking area on the south side of I-84, cross over the freeway, and drive past the campground to the river access parking lot. Views are spectacular: Across the river is 2,948-foot Dog Mountain and to its east 3,014-foot Cook Hill. From here, Hood River’s brewpubs are just another 7 miles farther east, off I-84, at exit 63.
