Of all the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge, Fairy Falls is my all time favorite. It's not very tall at just 30ft, and is dwarfed by its big Sister Multnomah Falls which is just a couple of miles away and drops over 600 ft, but there is something very special about this waterfall.
It on the trail (about 6 miles in length) between Wahkeena Falls and Multnomah Falls, which forms a loop trail completed by a short half mile trail between Wahkeena and Multnomah that follows the Columbia River Highway. So you can leave from one location, hike for several miles in some of the most beautiful country in the Pacific Northwest, and return to your car at the end of your hike. I like to park at Multnomah Falls because then on my return I get a mug of hot chocolate as a reward for all my efforts during the day. Plus the last mile or so is all downhill.
It's a moderate hike, but I usually allow most of the day for it, mostly because I take my camera (I am after all a budding photographer) and spend lots of time taking pictures as I wander through the trails.
I like to get up early for this hike, first because parking is very limited and if you don't get there early you will be out of luck, and secondly, because I like to get to Fairy Falls ahead of the crowd. This gives me plenty of time to set my camera, take advantage of the early morning light, look for new angles to shoot from, generally have a good time, and then sit on the bench, yes, there is a bench there, and just relax and watch the waterfall while lost in my own thoughts until the herd shows up.
At that point, its time to move on and leave them to their oooh's and aaah's as I travel further into the forest. For many people, Fairy Falls is the end of their hike, and they turn and head back down to the road about a mile and a half away, never realizing the gems they missed by not continuing the journey.
The attraction for me (photographically) is the almost perfect shape of the falls, and the rock formations the water cascades over. It's not a straight drop, more like an incredibly steep rapids, and I spend a lot of time photographing detail, some of which I will probably share here in the future.
It is also, as far as I know, the only waterfall in the gorge which actually has a nameplate. At some time in the past, someone hauled a piece of stone up there which has the name "Fairy Falls" chiseled into to it , looks like it was professionally done, and mounted it into the rock face to the right of the waterfall.
The other attraction for me is the peace and quiet to be found here. Nothing to listen to except the water cascading over the rock face. It's a place to escape from the busy world we live in and let the mind explore, although, only for a while as soon the humans will arrive, destroying the peace and tranquility of this beautiful location.
This image was taken some four years ago and is I think, the best image I have of this location. Unfortunately, two years ago some kids playing with fireworks set the forest ablaze destroying some 50,000 acres of pristine forest, including this beautiful waterfall.
I went back earlier this year after the trail was reopened, and at the moment its just bare rock with water cascading over it. All the green has been burnt off and the rock face stripped bare. Undoubtedly in time this will all regrow and Fairy falls will return to some level of its former glory, but I suspect that is probably several years away yet.
So until then, we must just look at this (I think) beautiful picture and hope that in time it will once again become the most beautiful waterfall in the Columbia Gorge.
