Tamanawas Falls

About Tamanawas Falls

Tamanawas Falls is on Cold Spring Creek, per the USFS trail description, on the east slope of Mt. Hood. The USFS says "the falls are approximately 100 feet high and 40 feet wide." Douglas fir and cedar shade the trail.

The usual trail is closed this winter. A USFS alert that began Nov 4, 2026 closed Trail #650A, its trailhead and the north section of East Fork Trail #650.

The USFS blames unstable slope in the path of last winter's landslide, which followed a large washout from 2025 storms. It says the waterfall can still be reached from Polallie Trailhead.

Our map pin marks the falls, using the USGS GNIS point for Tamanawas Falls. We found no published trailhead coordinate, so we show no trailhead marker. Navigate to Polallie Trailhead instead.

For other Oregon falls, see our guides to Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge and Tumalo Falls near Bend.

Getting there and parking

The USFS directions start in Hood River. We found no official drive time, so we don't give one.

Polallie Trailhead (open route)

Per the USFS, drive south 25 miles on Hwy 35 from Hood River to Polallie Trailhead, the north access. This is the trailhead to use during the closure.

Tamanawas Falls Trailhead (closed this winter)

The USFS puts the usual trailhead about 5 more miles along Hwy 35, on the west side of the highway. It sits 1/4 mile north of Sherwood Campground. The alert closes this trailhead for the winter.

Passes and winter parking

The USFS Mt. Hood Passes page lists Polallie Trailhead at $5. The Trail #650A page lists no pass rule. Check the Passes page before you park.

The Mt. Hood alerts say Sno-Park permits are required at designated winter recreation parking areas from November 1 to April 30. We could not confirm whether Polallie is one, so check whether that applies there.

Map and nearby falls

Tamanawas Falls trail: the Polallie approach and the closed usual route

The USFS describes the trails as a loop that starts at Tamanawas Falls Trailhead. It does not describe the Polallie route step by step. By our reading, its loop figures fit that approach in reverse.

From Polallie Trailhead

The loop meets East Fork Trail #650 just above Polallie Trailhead, where Elk Meadows Trail #645 comes down. Read in reverse, by our reading, you climb Elk Meadows Trail #645 about 1.25 miles to the Tie Trail #650B junction.

Then follow Tie Trail #650B about 0.5 mile to the canyon trail. From that junction, the USFS gives 0.2 to 0.25 mile to the falls, past a talus slope.

These are the USFS loop figures read backward. The USFS gives no total for this approach, so we don't add one up. We could not confirm whether the short stretch from the Polallie lot to the Elk Meadows junction is part of the closed north section.

The north section of East Fork Trail #650 is closed. Check the signs at Polallie and the USFS trail page before you start.

The usual route (closed this winter)

Normally you start at Tamanawas Falls Trailhead and cross the East Fork Hood River bridge. You turn right on East Fork Trail #650 for half a mile to Trail #650A.

Trail #650A crosses Cold Spring Creek and runs a quarter mile to the Tie Trail junction. Past a log bridge, log steps and a talus slope, the falls are a quarter mile on.

Returning over the Tie Trail, Elk Meadows Trail and East Fork Trail makes a 5-mile loop, the USFS says. That loop is not possible while the closure is in place.

Dogs and accessibility

The USFS trail page gives no dog rule for Trail #650A. It gives no accessibility information either, and the route crosses log steps and talus.

When to visit

The USFS names no best month. It calls the trail "an ideal destination to cool off on a hot summer afternoon."

This winter

The alert says the closure covers "this winter." It names no end date, so check the USFS trail page and alerts before each trip.

Nearby closures

As of Nov 8, 2026, a Grasshopper Fire closure is in place in Hood River and Wasco Counties east of Mt. Hood, updated Nov 6, 2026. Check the order map before you go.

For questions, call the Mt. Hood National Forest Supervisor's Office at (503) 668-1700.

Safety and swimming

Photos

Tamanawas Falls FAQ

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