Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area · Oregon, Washington

Eagle Creek

4.4 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 440 · trail class 4 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 45.6401, -121.9241 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Eagle Creek Day Use Area the Forest Service's write-up

Day use fee of $5/vehicle/day or a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/crgnsa/passes-permits/recreation">valid pass</a>.

This historic site is a great accessible spot for a picnic alongside the mouth of the stunning Eagle Creek slot canyon. Today's picnic area was once the site of the first developed campground in the U.S. Forest Service, with facilities that were later rebuilt during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps structures. On site remains the famous historic restroom (currently closed) nicknamed "Big John." The 1916 structure was the first flush toilet in the U.S. Forest Service.

Look for the historic Community Kitchen Pavilion perched on the hillside, which is wheelchair accessible. Stone ovens and an old trail register sit on the road to the trailhead. All the site's historic structures were saved by firefighters in 2017, when a massive wildfire known as Eagle Creek Fire started on nearby Eagle Creek Trail #440 .

Due to post-fire hazards on the landscapes, many other area trails including Ruckel Creek Trail #405 are still closed while crews clear and stabilize trails.

The roads have tight curves, so trailers longer than 20 feet trailer cannot fit into this recreation area.

The paved Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, great for road biking or a scenic run, runs to the town of Cascade Locks to the east and runs west to connect with the Historic Columbia River Highway Waterfall Corridor (where bikes must share the road with cars).

The state-run Cascade Hatchery is located onsite, offering self-guided tours. During the fall, visitors can view chinook and coho salmon spawning at Eagle Creek. Please protect spawning salmon by looking without touching. Do not throw rocks or poke salmon with sticks and stay out of the creek during spawning season.

Salmon CAM!

The salmon spawning season is here and the USDA Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area provides a new way to watch all the action as the Chinook (King) Salmon prepare to spawn. Fisheries personnel have placed an underwater webcam in a pool of Eagle Creek, a tributary to the Columbia River, where Chinook are gathering prior to spawning. While Chinook Salmon are present now, later in the autumn you can also observe Coho Salmon.

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Restrictions <ul><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1198121.pdf">Aircraft/UAS/drone takeoffs and landings are prohibited</a>&nbsp;at this site.&nbsp;</li><li><a href="http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/mthood/specialplaces/?cid=stelprdb5192346">Wilderness restrictions apply</a> within Mark O Hatfield Wilderness. &nbsp;</li><li>Jumping and diving off of Punchbowl Falls is prohibited and constitutes a $300.00 fine. &nbsp;</li><li>All dogs must be on leash. &nbsp;</li></ul>

This hike on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

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About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.