| Latourell Falls -- on the Historic Columbia River Highway Type: plunge Height: 249 feet Access: short hike from parking lot Latourell Falls is usually the first waterfall seen along the Columbia Gorge Scenic Highway since it is closest to the Portland end of the road. It tends to leave quite an impression on first time visitors.. The falls plunge 249 feet over a massive wall of columnar basalt – some of the best formations in the Pacific Northwest – before cascading to the Columbia River. This waterfall is usually most recognized for the large patch of bright yellow lichen adorning the cliff face to the right, this characteristic has attracted many famous photographers. History, Naming and Discovery: At the falls you can see entablature jointing. This is a distinctive jointing pattern found in the Columbia River basalt flows. Stress, produced when the lava cools and contracts, causes joints to corm. Columnar joints (colonnades) are found below the entablature. They were formed perpendicular to the lower cooling surface and are beautiful prisms and columns. You can also see much jointing at Shepperds Dell, Crown Point and Multnomah Falls. The falls were named for Joseph Latourell, a well known settler of the area. It isn’t known exactly when the falls were officially named. In 1887 Joseph Latourell was named postmaster of the Rooster Rock Post Office, one of the first in the area, and the office was subsequently renamed Latourell Falls. The falls were originally owned by Guy W. Talbot, who donated the land and falls to the Oregon State Parks system in 1929. |
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