Vanishing Falls | |
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Location | Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness |
Coordinates | 45°14′41″N121°53′44″W / 45.24472°N 121.89556°W [1] |
Type | Cascade |
Elevation | 2,186 ft (666 m) [1] [2] |
Total height | unconfirmed [2] |
Vanishing Falls, is a waterfall located on the Salmon River at the south skirt of the Mount Hood National Forest, in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area where the river creates several waterfalls: Final Falls, Frustration Falls, Little Niagara Falls, and Copper Creek Falls are within a mile from Vanishing Falls; while Hideaway Falls, Split Falls, and Stein Falls are approximately two miles away.
The cascade and its river trail are surrounded by forest of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and red cedar, interspersed with bigleaf maple, red alder and black cottonwood trees. [3]
Hiking to Vanishing Falls starts at a trailhead that runs south along Salmon River starting in the town of Welches on U.S. Route 26 as it goes through Mount Hood National Forest. Vanishing Falls is the first waterfall upstream Salmon River trail, after Frustration Falls towards Final Falls. The trail is approximately 7 mi (11 km) long and requires skill, visitors should always follow rules of safe waterfall hiking when visiting Vanishing Falls.
The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over eighty miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River in the east down to the eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the water gap furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades and the only water connection between the Columbia Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. It is thus that the routes of Interstate 84, U.S. Route 30, Washington State Route 14, and railroad tracks on both sides run through the gorge.
The Sandy River is a 56-mile (90 km) tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The Sandy joins the Columbia about 14 miles (23 km) upstream of Portland.
The Clackamas River is an approximately 83-mile (134 km) tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. Draining an area of about 940 square miles (2,435 km2), the Clackamas flows through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes agricultural and urban areas in its lower third. The river rises in eastern Marion County, about 55 miles (89 km) east-southeast of Salem. The headwaters are on the slopes of Olallie Butte in the Mount Hood National Forest, about 10 miles (16 km) north of Mount Jefferson, at an elevation of 4,909 feet (1,496 m) in the Cascade Range. The Clackamas flows briefly north and then flows northwest through the mountains, passing through North Fork Reservoir and Estacada. It then emerges from the mountains southeast of Portland. It joins the Willamette near Oregon City and forms the boundary between Oregon City and Gladstone.
Lolo Pass is a mountain pass 6 miles (10 km) northwest of Mount Hood and 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Zigzag, Oregon, on the Clackamas–Hood River county line. It divides the Sandy River watershed on the southwest from the Hood River watershed on the northeast.
The Mount Hood National Forest is a U.S. National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon, located 62 miles (100 km) east of the city of Portland and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than 60 miles (97 km) of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes of Mount Jefferson. The Forest includes and is named after Mount Hood, a stratovolcano and the highest mountain in the state.
The Salmon River is a 33.5-mile (53.9 km) river in the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon that drains part of southwestern Mount Hood. The entire length of the river is a protected National Wild and Scenic River. Several portions are in protected wilderness. It is affluent to the Sandy River, a tributary of the Columbia River.
Santiam State Forest is one of six state forests managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The forest is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Salem, Oregon, and includes 47,871 acres (193.73 km2) on the western slope of the Cascade Mountains in three Oregon counties: Clackamas, Linn, and Marion. It is bounded on the east by the Willamette National Forest and Mount Hood National Forest. Silver Falls State Park is located west of the forest. The rest of the land surrounding the forest belongs to the Bureau of Land Management or is privately owned. The forest is managed as part of the Department of Forestry's North Cascade District.
The South Fork Clackamas River is a tributary, roughly 8 miles (13 km) long, of the Clackamas River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning near South Fork Mountain in the western Cascade Range, the river flows generally north through Clackamas County to meet the larger river at Big Cliff. Most of the South Fork's drainage basin lies within the Mount Hood National Forest.
The Clackamas Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the Mount Hood National Forest in the northwestern Cascades of Oregon, United States. Created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, it consists of 9,470 acres (3,830 ha). The wilderness is made up of five different tracts of lands with no roads on a 50-mile (80 km) stretch on both sides of the Clackamas River. These areas include Big Bottom, Memaloose Lake, Clackamas Canyon, Sisi Butte and South Fork Clackamas. It has some of the biggest trees in northwest Oregon. Memaloose Lake is a very popular hiking trail that leads through a forest to the lake, and then continues a mile up to a viewpoint on to up South Fork Mountain.
The West Fork Salmon River is a tributary of the Salmon River in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning near Timberline Lodge at the base of Mount Hood in the Cascade Range, it flows generally south to meet the main stem Salmon near Red Top Meadow, slightly south of the intersection of U.S. Route 26 and Oregon Route 35. The entire course of the river, which has no named tributaries, lies within the Mount Hood National Forest.
Frustration Falls, is a three drop waterfall located on the Salmon River at the south skirt of the Mount Hood National Forest, in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area where the river creates several waterfalls: Final Falls, Vanishing Falls, Little Niagara Falls, and Copper Creek Falls are within a mile from Frustration Falls; while Hideaway Falls, Split Falls, and Stein Falls are approximately two miles away.
Final Falls, is a waterfall located on the Salmon River at the south skirt of the Mount Hood National Forest, in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area where the river creates several waterfalls: Frustration Falls, Vanishing Falls, Little Niagara Falls, and Copper Creek Falls are within a mile from Final Falls; while Hideaway Falls, Split Falls, and Stein Falls are approximately two miles away.
Little Niagara Falls, is a waterfall located on the Salmon River at the south skirt of the Mount Hood National Forest, in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area where the river creates several waterfalls: Final Falls, Vanishing Falls, Frustration Falls, and Copper Creek Falls are within a mile from Little Niagara Falls; while Hideaway Falls, Split Falls, and Stein Falls are approximately two miles away.
Winter Falls, is a waterfall located in the Silver Falls State Park at the east end of the city of Salem, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area on the west foothills where Mount Hood National Forest meets with the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Several prominent waterfalls are located in the Park along Trail of Ten Falls: South Falls, Lower South Falls, Lower North Falls, and Drake Falls—among others.
Upper Butte Creek Falls, is a waterfall located in the south edge of the Table Rock Wilderness at the east end of the city of Salem, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area on the east foothills of Drake Crossing. Several prominent rivers and waterfalls are located in the Butte Creek Falls trail system.
Upper North Falls, is a waterfall located in the Silver Falls State Park at the east end of the city of Salem, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area on the west foothills where Mount Hood National Forest meets with the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Several prominent waterfalls are located in the Park along Trail of Ten Falls: South Falls, Drake Falls, Lower North Falls, and Winter Falls—among others.
North Falls is a waterfall located in the Silver Falls State Park at the east end of the city of Salem, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area on the west foothills where Mount Hood National Forest meets with the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Several prominent waterfalls are located in the Park along Trail of Ten Falls: South Falls, Drake Falls, Lower South Falls, and Winter Falls—among others.
Twin Falls is a waterfall located in the Silver Falls State Park at the east end of the city of Salem, in Marion County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the west foothills where Mount Hood National Forest meets with the Middle Santiam Wilderness. Several prominent waterfalls are located in the Park along Trail of Ten Falls: South Falls, Drake Falls, Lower South Falls, and Winter Falls—among others.
Yocum Falls, is a waterfall located in the heart of the Mount Hood National Forest, in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in a privileged area in Zigzag canyon with several waterfalls including Little Zigzag Falls and Ramona Falls. The name, as well as Yocum Ridge, the south ridge of the Sandy Glacier on the west slope of Mount Hood, comes from businessman Oliver C. Yocum.
Eagle Creek Upper Falls, also called Upper Eagle Creek Falls, is a small waterfall located in Clackamas County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The waterfall is known for a fish ladder that bypasses the waterfall to assist fish navigate the waterfall. Eagle Creek is known for being a point for fishing chinook salmon, bull trout, and steelhead trout.