3.1 hr
Overview
Dry Creek Falls , accessed by the northernmost section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon, is a well-known destination and a favored winter hike for many. The usual excursion is an out and back on the PCT. However, a loop that takes you into the town of Cascade Locks ties together some of the history behind Dry Creek as a community water source (and thus the provenance of the name). In 1896, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a diversion system on the creek, with one set of structures below the waterfall and others down the creek next to Dry Creek Road. The diverted water was used to operate the chamber gates at the new locks constructed as a navigational bypass of the Great Cascades on the Columbia River. After construction of the Bonneville Dam , which drowned the cascades and rendered the locks obsolete, Cascade Locks used the system for its municipal water supply until the late 1960s, when the source was switched to Herman Creek. During the 70 years Dry Creek was used as a water supply, the stream often ran dry below the waterfall.
Trail Stats
9.5 km
259 m
264 m
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Photos
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