George W. Joseph Natural Area – Upper Latourell Falls – Columbia River Gorge – Oregon – 4K

My goal of these wilderness trail videos is to 1) show reverence for the beauty of the land, and 2) give YOU actionable trail information that can assist you in planning your own hike here.

This was a day-hike in Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area near Mount Hood, doing Latourell Falls Loop (from Guy W Talbot State Park), 3 miles, 728 ft elevation gain. Lower Latourell Falls is available right at the trailhead without much hiking, but if you want the full experience than you can do the Rainforest Loop that yields you Upper Latourell Falls ( part of the George W Joseph Natural Area) which is the prettier of the two in my humble opinion and the 3rd tallest Waterfall in the entire Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area which is saying something since the area is abundant with Waterfalls, it is Waterfall-rific! I did this on 5/20/2022, and this was the first of four hikes I did that day as I captured a few of the easier hikes along the Gorge route, some of the lowest hanging fruit so to speak. One of the things I like about Latourell Falls loop is that it has that Wilderness Adventuring feel of a muddy/dirt trail in the Rainforest, whereas several of the other popular ones are more paved cement/asphalt the entire way, so this one had more of a natural wild rustic feel which I enjoy and appreciate. The weather was inconsistent, some sun breaks, blue sky, clouds and overcast, with a low in the high 30's and a high in the 50's, and there were NO mosquitoes. As far as road conditions, it's highway and paved side roads to the parking lot, it is an easy and safe driving route. In my opinion, the road most definitely DOES NOT require 4-Wheel Drive or high clearance, however do watch for road conditions, particularly snow/ice depending on the time of year.