Tamanawas Falls is a Mount Hood Must in the Winter

Tamanawas Falls is a popular hiking destination located in the Mount Hood National Forest in Oregon. The drive south on Highway 35 from I-84 in the Columbia River Gorge is also simply fantastic. It parallels the Hood River for several miles, and in the wintertime, there is snow everywhere. This makes the trail a picturesque winter wonderland as well. Hiking Tamanawas Falls in the winter should be on every Pacific Northwest Top 5 hiking list!

If you’re planning a Mount Hood winter trip, make sure this falls is on it! A quick gear checklist:

• Cramp-ons or microspikes: The trail can’t get very icy, and these work wonders for traction
• Leg gaiters: These are protective covers that strap around the bottom of your shoe and shins and keep snow and ice out. Also good for leg protection from thorny bushes in the summer!
• Trekking poles: Additional slippery ice support for your knees!
• All-Wheel-Drive or 4-Wheel-Drive vehicle: The Tamanawas Falls parking lot is frequently covered in ice, and it receives many daily visitors. I’ve seen far too many compact cars with no chains or snow tires getting stuck. AWD = always on, torque evenly distributed, drive system shifts torque to the other three tires when one gets stuck. Standard in most Subarus and many other vehicles. 4WD = must be switched on, provides torque to all four tires, and helps on uneven and low-traction terrain.

How to Get to Tamanawas Falls Trail and General Info

As mentioned above, Highway 35 is the only way to get to the Tamanawas Falls Trailhead. However, there are two access points to the Tamanawas Falls trail. If headed east on Highway 26: Once through Government Camp, continue left on Highway 35 for about 5 more miles to reach the Tamanawas Falls trailhead (south access). The parking area is on the west (left) side of the highway. This trailhead is 1/4 mile north of Sherwood Campground.

You can also drive through the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge on I-84. On this route, you will see signs pointing you away from the Hood River Bridge once in the city of Hood River.

Head south on Highway 35 for 25 miles. Here you will reach the north access at the Polallie Trailhead. Continue on Highway 35 for a few more miles to access the Tamanawas Falls Trailhead on your right.

If you’re on the hunt for an overnight stay, I’d recommend the Cooper Spur campground. Cooper Spur is another incredible hike and I’ll cover that one in the blog at some point. It’s located just a couple of miles from Tamanawas Falls. Speaking of blogs, make sure to check out the first two entries to the blog! I recently covered Eastern Oregon and Walupt Creek Falls in Washington.

Other campgrounds, overnight stay places, and activities close to Tamanawas Falls include:

• Klinger Springs, a local rock climbing short trip
• Sherwood Campground, as mentioned before it’s only a quarter of a mile to Tamanawas Falls Trailhead from this campground. Try to get a spot close to Cold Spring Creek because this campground is also close to the highway.
• Little John Sno Park, don’t ask me why there’s no W in Sno, I have no idea, but they’re all spelled like that. This is an excellent parking lot starting point for snowmobiles.

Do you need a pass for Tamanawas Falls?

According to the Forest Service site for Tamanawas Falls, a valid Recreation Pass is required at East Fork- Tamanawas Fall trailhead. The Tamanawas Falls Trailhead features a small parking lot and a two-stall bathroom.

How tall is Tamanawas Falls, and what is the trail like?

The waterfall is approximately 100 feet (30 meters) tall and is accessed by a 3.8-mile (6.1 km) round-trip hike. The trail is well-maintained and is considered moderate in difficulty, with a gradual incline and a few switchbacks. For reviews from other hikers on Tamanas Falls, take a look at the AllTrails Tamanawas Falls page here.

When hiking Tamanawas Falls in the winter, the trail can be icy and snow-covered. Hikers should use caution and bring appropriate gear. Make sure to bring your microspikes (crampons)! The trail is certainly icy, but it’s worth every minute of the wintery views. This trail truly has tons of views to offer. Photos of Tamanawas Falls can be viewed in the Gallery of the Mount Hood section.

Are dogs allowed on the Tamanawas Falls trail?

Yes, dogs are allowed on this trail but must be kept on a leash. Do you part and practice Leave No Trace principles – pick up your dog’s waste!

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My Instagram username has changed twice since I made this video. It’s now @andrewtodd.media to match this new website. Thanks to Survive Outdoors Longer and Trail Toddy for the hookup on this one. And thank you for watching!

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Along the way, hikers will pass through a beautiful forest of tall Douglas fir trees alongside Cold Spring Creek. The trail also crosses two wooden bridges and passes through a rocky canyon. Cold Spring Creek is wonderfully mossy in the spring and summer. Several round boulders are scattered throughout the meandering waters.

There is some moderate elevation gain on this hike. Hiking Tamanawas Falls in the winter means you will have to scale a boulder slide covered in snow. There is a trail that goes through most of the boulders fairly easily. Watch your step in this section, which is located just before views of the falls are available.

How Tamanawas Falls Was Named, and How it Formed

As with many of the Pacific Northwest’s premier hiking destinations and cities, Tamanawas Falls was named in honor of the region’s Native American heritage. Locally pronounced “ta-MAH-na-was,” the falls tumble over a basalt rock shelf. The name of the falls comes from the Chinook people‘s word for “a friendly spirit.” Tamanawas Falls became its official name in 1971. The area is within the ceded lands of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. For more on the native tribes of Oregon and how locations got their names, this read from Travel Oregon is excellent in its coverage of the topic.

The Pacific Northwest’s Cascade Arc features over 700 miles of volcanoes. The range stretches from southwestern British Columbia all the way down to Northern California.

The Cascade Arc formed due to subduction. Subduction occurs when one of the earth’s tectonic plates’ edges sinks below another, propping up the other plate. This activity formed much of the region known as the Cascadia subduction zone, including Mount Hood.

Basalt is an aphanitic extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava. Lava is often rich in magnesium and iron. When these metals are exposed at or very near the surface, the result is basalt. More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt.

Nearly all of the waterfalls and geological features in the Pacific Northwest are due to the erosion or shifting of basalt. Cold Spring Creek has spent millennia carving out this basalt, and the result is a bowl with a thunderous, 100-foot falls at its center, called Tamanawas Falls.

Tips for Hiking the Tamanawas Falls Trail in the Winter

I got lost, so you could stay found. My first time hiking Tamanawas Falls in the winter, I made a huge mistake. Turning left after the first bridge just off the trailhead I soon found myself in 3-4 feet of snow with no discernable trail. The view of the Hood River from this trail was breathtaking though (see the image below).

• When you cross the East Fork of the Hood River at the first bridge, turn RIGHT. The rest of the way is straightforward with no other trail junctions present.

• Bring ankle gaiters and a change of socks. This will keep the snow out of your shoes, and a warm pair of dry socks for the drive home. The feeling of fresh socks is one of the most heavenly simple things a hiker can experience.
• Even when hiking Tamanawas Falls in the winter, the parking lot still gets crowded. Snow and ice get thick. Because of this, the parking lot is slippery and it’s an insurance agent’s nightmare. Bring traction boards, a foldable shovel, and even some kitty litter. Otherwise, you’ll need to thank your local Jeep or 4Runner for towing you out!

Directions from the Forest Service

From parking lot at the East Fork- Tamanawas trailhead cross the East Fork of the Hood River at the bridge and turn right (north) on the East Fork Trail #650. The trail continues along the west bank of the river for half a mile to a junction with the Tamanawas Falls Trail #650A. Continue straight ahead on this trail (#650A). Cross Cold Spring Creek at the bridge and turn left. Another quarter mile brings you to a junction with the Tamanawas Tie trail #650B. Turn left and cross the stream on a log bridge. The trail then follows the south bank a short distance.   After descending a series of log steps, it crosses back to the north bank. From here, the trail climbs through a talus slope and in a quarter mile reaches the falls.  After visiting the falls, hikers may choose a different return route by taking the Tamanawas Tie trail. This trail climbs gently out of the canyon approximately 0.2 mile from the falls and after 0.5 mile reaches a junction with the Elk Meadows trail #645. Turn right and follow this trail downhill for 1.25 miles to a junction with the East Fork trail just above the Polallie trailhead parking area. If you have not arranged to be picked up here, turn right and follow the East Fork trail back to the Tamanawas Falls parking area to complete the five mile loop.

– US Forest Service Directions

Bonus Drone Footage

Find me on Facebook or Instagram if you’d like to connect to learn more about Tamanawas Falls. In the meantime, here are some aerial shots of the falls from my drone during a warmer trip to the falls. See you at the next one, and Happy Trails!