Adventure Blog: Cascade Locks, Oregon

I'm a strong believer that every adventure requires a mission.  To seek out, ravage through Mother Earth, and find a hidden gem.  The Earth is full of them, trailblazers discovered them, stacked rocks help us find them again.  It's taken centuries to create them, undisturbed by humans, and they are perfect the way they are.  Waterfalls are one of our favorite hidden gems to explore to because of their beauty, uniqueness, and positive aroma caused by negative ions.   Michelle, the genius that she is, found a hike with 3 gorgeous waterfalls, 2 brilliantly engineered bridges, and several breathe taking views of the Columbia River.  The hike was incredibly fun and didn't require too much energy; it was perfect because it was a nice stop/break from driving on our way to Portland from Smith's Rock State Park.  Parking was easy.  There's free parking at the Ridge Trail, located on the map below, click on it to get directions:

We packed 1 bottle of water each, some snacks, and set out on the trail.  I don't know why we didn't bring our hammock but it would have been very useful throughout the hike.  The massive Columbia River runs adjacent to the trail, allowing several beautiful viewpoints/hammock spots along the way. I don't want to give away too much of the adventure but it was incredibly refreshing, full of vibrant green and semi-foliage, and was my favorite hike of our Oregon trip.  The weather was somber and dreary, the clouds gathered above us threateningly, as if the Lord finally answered the prayers of a desperate farmer during a drought.  There was no sun and the mist was heavy; I was absolutely in love.  Because of this place, my heart will forever be camped out in Oregon.

The Horsetail Falls:

Ponytail Falls/Horsetail Creek:

Lower Oneonta Falls/Bridge 1:

Oneonta Creek/Bridge 2/Tunnel:

 Columbia River:

Now that you've seen our adventure, go on your own! Have some outdoor fun ya crazy kids!  Find out more about negative ions and waterfalls on my other post: Good Vibe Waterfalls