Oneonta Gorge Hike in Portland, Oregon
Jarden and I just recently came back from a week long trip to Portland, Oregon. We went on a few hikes during our time there, and one of our highlights included a trip to Oneonta Gorge.
Honestly, I found this picturesque wonderland on Pinterest. After seeing the lush, green, cliff-like structures that you get to pass through, I was sold! It definitely did not disappoint and was probably my favorite part of our trip.
Oneonta Gorge is about a 45 minute drive from Portland. We met up with our good friends Ryan and Hilary (She’s a true Oregoniean!), and they were able to give us the ins and outs of the place. You start wading through a river and make your way up a large rock. Once there, you have to pass over a huge log jam. Be careful here! It’s slippery (even though it wasn’t raining), and I wouldn’t recommend it for young kids or those not confident in maneuvering across the logs.
Once across the logs, you get to your first opening towards the gorge. I couldn’t fathom the beauty of this place!
A little more of a trek upstream, you get to a short crossing where you WILL get wet. The water is extremely cold; coldest water we have ever been in. We were lucky to have gone on a warm day with no rain, but it was still outrageously freezing.
To give an idea of how deep the water was, I’m 5″1 and the water went up to my neck! A lot of people turned around at this point as they didn’t want to endure the icy temperatures. Immediately after this crossing though is the waterfall, so to us it was worth it!
We took a lot of pictures along the way, and it took about 30-40 minutes to get to the falls. It was such an amazing experience, and we would highly recommend it to anyone visiting Oregon!
Tips for Oneonta Gorge!
–Watershoes were very useful here, so bring them if you got em! I got mine for about $5 from Walmart.
-We brought a dry bag for all of our camera equipment, and it really helped while swimming. (Or if it had rained) Our friends just put their phones in a zip lock, but bring a dry bag if you got it!
-Quick drying clothes would be useful since you will get wet. Dress accordingly! (This also depends on the season of course.)
-Once again, the log jam is slippery so be mindful of that. People have gotten hurt while trying to cross!
