Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page to help you decide on trips and what to bring.
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Cascade Canyoning's one day and half day canyoneering adventures are a fantastic way to see the backcountry of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. The rappels and lofty locations encountered along these routes offer visitors an exciting and unique perspective |
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Border Creek is one of our favorites. The ratio of "cool stuff to
required effort" is huge! Although it is relatively easy, it is
truly, truly spectacular and that's not a typo - it really deserves
two "trulys." It is a short, easy-to-access canyon hike with three
awesome waterfalls, each ending in very deep pools. After a couple minute walk from the car we reach the first falls, about 25 feet. This can be rappelled or jumped. In fact, if you rappel it then later decide you wanted to jump it, you can hike out of the canyon after this waterfall and go back to the top and jump it. So when you tell your buddies after rappelling to the bottom of the falls that, in retrospect, you would've jumped it, you'd better mean it! Whether you rap or jump or both, after swimming out of this pool we have an enjoyable walk just a couple hundred yards downcanyon to the second waterfall. Right before the second falls, however, the creek flows over a mini-falls about eight feet high. An optional chimney downclimb or jump just upcanyon and down into a side pool positions you for a wondrous swim through a tunnel of water formed by the wide curtain of the mini-falls. What a fun place! Those not wanting to have any fun can walk right around the top of the chimney and down into the watercourse further downcanyon - though this avoids one of the best parts of the entire hike. A stone's throw away from the mini-falls lies the brink of the 80 foot, second waterfall. This one is a mandatory rappel, and what an awesome one it is! This is one of the prettiest waterfalls around - an amazing scene! There is a large, recessed ledge halfway down the falls which allows you to stop and really relax and soak up the beauty of the setting. The waterfall actually shoots way out over the ledge so you can walk behind the falls. The pool at the very bottom of this falls is absolutely gigantic. Swimming through this pool surrounded by the gorgeous overhanging rock walls with dripping springs and hanging gardens of fern, coupled with the crashing visuals and sounds of the waterfall, makes for an incredibly surreal experience. A hundred yards below this the creek cascades down more splashy pools and down the final waterfall. The final waterfall is 30 feet tall. We rig up a rappel here, but you can rappel about halfway down to a ledge, unclip and jump into the pool. 15 feet never seemed so high! You can also simply rappel all the way down into the pool, which as you may have guessed is incredibly huge. More overhanging rock walls, hanging gardens and crashing water round out this gem. Lazily drifting in the current away from this last waterfall we eventually touch bottom and can walk out of the pool and around the corner. After just a minute of hiking we reach a slope of rock and trees that we can hike and scramble our way up out of the canyon. The climb out of the canyon is very enjoyable - it's got some sections of steep rock but there are huge, solid handholds and footholds to latch onto. The scramble out the ridge is almost as fun as the canyon descent and the views back down into the canyon and of the waterfalls offer a whole new perspective on where we just were. Photo ops abound! It's about 10 minutes to the top of the ridge then a pleasant 15 minute stroll on a trail gets us back to the car. |
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This is the first canyon we guided in the Pacific Northwest and definitely remains one of the best
all-around canyons we guide in Oregon! It has it all: big waterfall
rappels, jumps, slides and swims, as well as beautiful undocumented
waterfalls, photogenic canyons, old-growth forests and amazing
solitude. As with most of the canyons we guide up here, Cascade Creek has a fairly short approach; about 20 minutes downhill to the creek then another 20 minutes to the first waterfall rappel. At this falls the canyon really closes in and the real fun and beauty begins! The upper section of Cascade has numerous pools preceded by short drops and slides. Most of these can be jumped or slid (the Euros call slides "toboggans"), the longest of which is about 20'. Of course, all of these can be rappelled if folks aren't up for the jumps or slides. Most of the jumps and slides have steep rock faces along the side with big handholds which can be climbed up to get back to the top for multiple jumping and sliding enjoyment! If you fall while climbing back up then you only fall back into the deep pools, so failure to get back up is almost as fun as actually getting back up top. The canyon throughout this upper section is a pleasant V-shaped gorge with lots of sunlight and is great for photos. The second to last jumpable pool (aka the "Log Pool") in this upper section offers a great setting for lunch. Afterwards another short jump and swim puts us at the start of the final, narrow gorge section with an impressive series of five waterfalls. None of these are jumpable, but they are awesome rappels and extremely photogenic. The first falls in the series is an awesome fan-type falls of about 30 feet into a deep pool. The canyon really tightens up at this point and the walls overhang on all sides. There is no way out from here but down! This first falls is followed by the stunningly beautiful 30 foot "Palazzo Falls" which spreads out over a wide, polished curtain of rock into another pool. The third falls is short, about 20', and somewhat jumpable but is better off rappelled due to the fact it curves around a corner. The water here gets funneled into a very narrow channel just before plunging into a deep pool. While rappelling this one you end up on a ledge about five feet above the pool, but on the opposite side of the water crashing into the pool. This is where it really gets fun as you must disconnect from the rope while standing on the ledge then jump out over the waterfall into the pool on the other side. A short swim gets you out of the pool and at the top of the final waterfall. The setting here is spectacular! The canyon is extremely narrow here and boxes you in and the view over the last falls is out of this world! The final waterfall is 150' down into a wild grotto lush with mosses and fern. Rappelling down this waterfall is a lot of fun and can be done in a couple of ways. First is to simply rappel straight down the falls. This is appropriate for those who are comfortable with rappelling directly in the water. The force of the water can be strong and may be intimidating for some, but it really isn't too bad. Those who are not comfortable rappelling right in the current can opt for the "guided rappel." With a guided rappel we set up a secondary "guide" rope running down to the bottom and it is tensioned at an outward angle to an anchor at the bottom. You clip into this rope with a short tether on your harness, then rappel down the main rappel rope. As you rappel down the main rope, the tether will come tight with the angled tensioned guide rope so that you are gently pulled away from the waterfall as you descend. This allows you to rappel away from the force of the water the whole way down. Even those who are comfortable rappelling directly in the current find the guided rappel a blast! It's similar to a zip-line only you control your rate of descent as you normally would with your rappel device. You can stop, go slow or fast whichever you choose. Regardless of how you handle this waterfall, it is sure to be one of the most memorable events in your life. As you may have guessed, the setting at the bottom of this waterfall is simply breathtaking. It's one of the most impressive sights we've ever seen and it rivals or exceeds in beauty even the most spectacular waterfalls of the Columbia River Gorge, including Multnomah or Latourell falls. What's truly amazing is that it is unknown and undocumented! More swims and waterfalls downcanyon seem to have kept regular hikers out of this area so the solitude is unbeatable. Further downcanyon we can scramble out of the gorge back up to the car. The scramble is very steep and physically demanding, but with time it's manageable and the adrenaline from rappelling through the final gorge certainly helps fuel us back to the top. If you're looking for a truly unforgettable day of canyoning, this is it. |
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Why did the canyoneers cross the river? To get to the other side, of course. This day begins with a very entertaining ford of the Clackamas River to the unassuming mouth of Clackamas Canyon. Teamwork is helpful in crossing such a river and, depending on how many are in your party, we'll coalesce into the most advantageous formation – often with interlocked arms – to cross the swift current as a team. Rarely is the river's depth more than waist deep, but the current keeps us on our proverbial toes, figuratively and oftentimes literally. Once across we'll cruise on a very scenic and historic hiking trail through beautiful old growth forest to our main objective. A hour after leaving the vehicle we'll reach the top of the canyon and harness up. Immediately upon descending into the canyon's watercourse we find ourselves at the top of the first rappel. This 50' waterfall is, not surprisingly, gorgeous. It plunges vertically into a pristine pool shrouded by overhanging walls adorned with hanging ferns. Few ever see this place, let alone swim in it. Pulling our rappel ropes here gives us that satisfying, and sometimes anxious, feeling of commitment. There's no turning back here! The deep gorge sweeps around a corner obscuring our view of what's downstream. The fact that all we can see at this point is the creek disappearing around the corner into a narrow chute of churning whitewater adds to the excitement and anticipation. What have we gotten into?! We'll pause and assess this chaotic chute until we convince ourselves that it is manageable, then head onward. A rope here is, nonetheless, deemed prudent due to the now apparent “horizon line” immediately downstream. This section of canyon, boxed in with the initial 50' waterfall, chute and second falls, is what it's all about. Using ropes to enjoy an otherwise inaccessible paradise is perhaps the greatest joy of canyoning! With our harnesses tethered to our rope we'll use it as a safety- and hand-line to ease our way to the brink of our second rappel. This waterfall, at 90 feet, is higher than the first, yet lower angled and a bit “friendlier” due to its angle and the fact we can see the canyon open up and relenting in potential hazards. Beyond the second rappel the hike continues intermittently along the watercourse and along its bank depending on what makes for the easiest walking. Though it takes about an hour to reach the next waterfall, the hike is supremely scenic and varied. At times we'll deviate high above the streambed and pick up various segments of yet another historic trail that, in some spots, actually tunnels through the cliff bands. It's hard to describe – hopefully the pictures help – just how intriguing this hiking section is. As a result, the hour passes quickly and we find ourselves once again face to face with a significant horizon line. Better get out those ropes! It quickly becomes obvious that the impending drop is the beginning of a series of smaller drops chained together. The first drop is 10 feet and can be jumped safely and quite enjoyably. However, and this is a big however, we must anchor our rope at the top of this first drop as there is no anchor at the top of the second drop. It would not bode well to jump down into this pool only to find nothing to anchor to for the next drop! Fortunately, you're with a guide who has already figured out these things (sometimes the hard way). The waterfall rappel below the initial jump drop is 30 feet and lies at a gentle angle. Naturally, this one ends in a huge pool that has you swimming immediately off the rope. But not too far! Just around the corner is yet another horizon line and this one is huge! It's at this point you really begin to wonder what you've gotten yourself into. We'll safely regroup at the top of this tremendous waterfall and weigh our options. This is the last mandatory rappel (there is another 60' waterfall downcanyon which can be bypassed depending on desires and time constraints) and it is massive. The waterfall itself drops 180', though you'd swear it was higher. As we flake out the 200' rope you may begin to doubt it will actually reach the bottom, which is yet another reason to feel fortunate to be with a guide. You can rappel alongside the waterfall just off to its side if you so desire. It's definitely not recommended to rappel in the water itself on this one due to the overwhelming force of the falling water. Instead of rappelling alongside the falls you may choose to rappel over the waterfall. Over the waterfall? Indeed. In addition to lugging one 200' rope to rappel with, we also lug a second, slightly longer, rope that can be used to rig a “guided” rappel. If you've read the description for the Cascade Creek hike you may remember this trick, but it's worth repeating here. With a guided rappel we set up a secondary "guide" rope running down to the bottom and it is tensioned at an outward angle to an anchor at the bottom. You clip into this rope with a short tether on your harness, then rappel down the main rappel rope. As you rappel down the main rope, the tether will come tight with the angled tensioned guide rope so that you are gently pulled away from the waterfall as you descend. This allows you to rappel away from the force of the water the whole way down. Even those who are comfortable rappelling directly down the wall alongside the falls find the guided rappel a blast! It's similar to a zip-line only you control your rate of descent as you normally would with your rappel device. As is the case in Cascade Creek, this guided rappel is rigged so that the guide rope runs you out directly over the top of the falls. This interesting position of the guide rope is not necessarily to provide a thrill – which it is – rather the best anchor at the bottom is situated such that the rope naturally crosses over the top of the falls. Again, it's tough to describe but hopefully the photos will make some sense of this. Once at the bottom you'll be savoring one of the most impressive locations on this fair planet. It is a remote and very seldom visited place. As I sit here in my office at my computer working on this website I get goosebumps just thinking of how beautiful this place is and how much I always look forward to being there. Along these lines, there is something to be said about being able to enjoy unique visuals of amazing waterfalls. The views from the top are so much different than those along the rappel and at its base. All throughout the perspectives are mind-blowing. It truly is something to marvel at and treasure for years to come. Beyond this waterfall the hiking is easy. There is that aforementioned 60' falls which is just as stunning as the rest. It is about a half hour downcanyon to this falls. Regardless of whether we have time to descend it directly on rope or whether we must bypass it on foot in the interest of time, it is quite a sight. As we continue on and make our way to the mouth of this special canyon, we remind ourselves that it isn't over till it's over. Remember that initial river crossing of the Clackamas? Well, we must cross it again to reach our vehicle. It's a fitting finish to a truly exciting, extremely memorable day! Clackamas Canyon is the closest hike we guide to Portland. Despite it's relative convenience, it's a spectacular canyon where few venture. |
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Buried deep in the old-growth forests of Oregon's central Cascades is Lost Creek. It is remote and requires the
most amount of hiking to reach of any of the canyons we guide. But
the rewards are high including supreme solitude, undocumented
waterfalls and breathtaking slot canyons. This was our very first
canyon hike in the Northwest back in 2006 and as such holds a
special place in our hearts. Though Cascade Creek and Clackamas Canyon are wilder and more
dramatic and Border Creek is more accessible and succinct, Lost Creek
is right up there as one of our favorites. An hour-long hike and scramble down a forest road leads us to the first waterfall of the day in a small tributary of Lost Creek. This previously undocumented waterfall is about 60' and makes for a very pleasant rappel. A second 10' waterfall immediately downstream is also rappelled and puts us deep into the heart of some amazingly remote backcountry. A bit of boulder- and logjam-hopping brings us to the main fork of Lost. From the junction of Lost Creek the water cascades down a very aesthetic bedrock-floored canyon bottom. It provides very enjoyable hiking for the next hour down into the final gorge of Lost Creek. This gorge has been compared by some to the world-famous Oneonta Gorge in the Columbia River Gorge just outside Portland. The gorge's ultra-narrow walls are covered with mosses and ferns and are lined with numerous smaller waterfalls plummeting in from the sides. Getting through this wonderful gorge involves three rappels. The first two falls, about 20' and 30' respectively, are easy-going and very photogenic. Compared to the other canyons we guide, Lost Creek's water volume is fairly low, so the water here splashes at your feet a bit and is not overwhelming. The main attraction here isn't massive waterfalls or swims, but the scenery of the gorge itself. The third and final falls in the gorge, about 20', are a little trickier to rappel down. You must finagle your way around and down a logjam and into a deep pool whereby more log hopping is required to enter the deepest part of the gorge. This has got to be one of the most scenic spots in all the canyons we guide up here. It really does look like paradise. A couple hundred yards of blissful hiking down the gorge, surrounded by more waterfalls splashing on us from the sides, gets us out of the canyon and back to our vehicle. A superb finish to a splendid and fabulously remote canyon hike. |
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| Costs include all necessary technical gear (harnesses, ropes, helmets, packs, wetsuits, etc). 10% discount for past clients of Cascade Canyoning and Desert Highlights. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page to help you decide on trips and what to bring. |