Grand Union Falls
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this location:
- Eagle Creek to Tunnel Falls Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Eagle Creek to Wahtum Lake Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Tanner-Eagle Traverse Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 45.58430, -121.85420
- Elevation: 970 feet
- Height: 41 feet
- Stream: Eagle Creek
Description
One of several dozen "lesser" falls on Eagle Creek, Grand Union Falls might be a destination on its own in many other places in the region, but on Eagle Creek it is upstaged by its nearby cousin Tunnel Falls. The falls are visible from the Eagle Creek Trail between Blue Grouse Camp and Tunnel Falls in an area sometimes referred to as The Potholes.
The falls drop over a formation of columnar basalt and have become more visible from the trail since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. They are named for the nearby confluence of the East and West Forks of Eagle Creek. Directly upstream from the junction on the East Fork is the aforementioned Tunnel Falls. If topography allowed you to continue right and travel 0.3 of a mile, you'd reach Twister Falls.
Eagle Creek Trail is known for its cliffside locations, but the Potholes is a pretty special place all its own. Here, the trail was blasted from the cliff, a common technique in the area. The rock here, however, was columnar basalt and it fractured in odd patterns, sometimes like a bowl that collects rain water dripped from above, sometimes the other way forming a dome shaped protrusion. When you pass through here, you're actually walking on top of columns of basalt, formed when a flow from the Columbia River Basalt Flows cooled slowly enough to allow the crystal like structures to form.
Of course, you might be safer stopping while you ponder. The footing here is treacherous at best and deserves all of your attention.
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Contributors
- jeffstatt (creator)
- stevefromdodge