Summer Hike Series: Oneonta Gorge

In southern Utah, within the depths of Zion National Park exists a slot canyon hike simply labeled, "The Narrows," an ankle-to-chest-deep creekbed that narrowly winds between two solid, 1000-ft. walls of rock for fifteen miles upstream from the main part of the park. Twice I've been to Zion and as it's been a goal of mine to explore this scenic, rugged stretch of backcountry, I've been hindered by both a limited schedule and threats of flash flooding, the latter of which could spell disaster to any fool stupid enough to hoof it during flood season. In northern Oregon, within the western edges of the Columbia River Gorge hides The Narrows' little lost brother, Oneonta Gorge, a spectacular tease of the hidden treasures that the Pacific Northwest has to offer.

Where: From Portland, drive eastbound on I-84, past Multonomah Falls, taking exit 35 towards Ainsworth Park. Backtrack 1.5 miles west on the scenic byway until you pass Horsetail Falls, followed about .2 miles later by a foot tunnel on the left side of the road. Park in one of the spaces just beyond the tunnel. The trailhead begins on the Oneonta Creek riverbed just underneath the roadway bridge.

Oneonta Gorge, a mossy, fern-lined chasm that is so narrow, the 30-foot wide Oneonta Creek actually fills it from wall to wall, is the incredible result of what happens when water cuts through the area's basalt lava layers along a fault line. Hiking this gorge could be one of the coolest short hikes in all of Oregon.

Being sold on a single photograph of the inside of the gorge, I had to do it. When my friend Kyle, who was visiting from D.C. for the weekend, suggested we go on a hike, this was the first option I thought of. Knowing that there is a bit of tricky footwork at the mouth of the gorge, I threw a harness around Kino, packed up a few supplies and a mere 45 minutes later we were parking the car below Horsetail Falls in search of the entry point into Oneonta Creek. A few minutes later we were already ankle deep in water and approaching a jumbled cluster of a log jam unlike any I had ever seen.

I read about this part of the hike while researching the gorge, as its an obstacle that often daunts the faint of heart from continuing on. A twenty-five foot high, twisted Jenga puzzle of fallen trees, the log jam is obviously the product of a long-passed number of flash floods, the oldest memories of which are buried deep within its tangle. It almost resembles a strange, Escher-like maze when trying to navigate from one end to the other, with dangerous pockets and naturally-created pitfalls between the sticks that seem to be straight out of an Indiana Jones adventure. Concerned that I may not even be able to cross it with Kino, I explored a few routes to the other side in search of the safest option that would allow him to pass. With Kyle's help and the aid of Kino's harness, the three of us performed a bit of a leapfrogging technique that helped Kino wind his way over the beams and down to the creek on the other side. Even though another owner was letting his dog navigate through it all on his own, due to Kino's old ligament damage and his back legs being as weak as they are, I wasn't taking any chances. All in all it took us about 15 minutes.

Once we passed the log jam, I released Kino from his tether and stepped into the heart of the gorge. With fluorescent lichens and maidenhair ferns gracing the walls that were towering over 150 feet above us, our view upstream was like looking through a window into Narnia. Being almost 11am, the sun's rays were starting to breech the top of the canyon walls, little by little, streaming down to meet the riverbed floor. It was simply breathtaking.

Running up ahead of us, Kino soon discovered a 1/4 mile later that the creek, mostly ankle deep up until that point, plunged into nearly shoulder-high depths for about 100 feet. Only after I waded in to the 52-degree pool with my bag held high above my head did he build up the nerve to actually dive in and cross with me. Even then, he found a way to scramble up onto a small ledge to my right and billy-goat his way to the other side. ...I have a dog that hates swimming. Go figure. Kyle followed shortly behind, and once the three of us were through, we continued along the gorge's twists and turns until we reached the final pay-off: Oneonta Falls.

Plunging into the creekbed from above, the 120-foot Oneonta Falls is simply spectacular to behold. You can see it from a distance as you approach the end of the gorge, the roar of its two tiers of water echoing through the canyon. Regardless of the hypothermic-like water, I plunged into the pool beneath the falls to try to get some better, more closeup photographs of the falls. Instead, I ended up attempting to coax Kino into the water with me for a quick swim. He visibly and vocally objected to such a notion, clearly wanting to have nothing of the sort while being so close to the rushing waterfall. It was hard to determine which freaked him out the most; the fact that there was a ear-deafening column of water behind me, or that I was swimming so close to the base of it. I couldn't help being entranced by them though...the falls are so pristine, it's hard not to want to swim up and just touch them.

After taking a few quick shots in front of the falls, I started to notice a crowd of people begin to make their way towards our end of the gorge. It was close to noon by now and as it was a Sunday afternoon in the midst of summer, this was beginning to become an immensely crowded hike. The solace of the gorge no longer offered to us as an option, Kyle, Kino and I began to head back through the wading pools and over the still-carefully-maneuvered log jam before reaching the road and heading west past Multonomah Falls and back to Portland.

If you have the opportunity and don't mind getting a bit wet, this hike is definitely worth the effort. It's been hard to top the absolute majesty of Tunnel Falls along the edge of Eagle Creek, but Oneonta Gorge offers a unique experience unlike any other trail hiking options around Oregon. No question about it, I would definitely put this on the top of my list, and needless to say I plan on going back.