Shot of the Month – March 2026

Every year, about 2 million people flock to the Columbia River Gorge (CRG) to enjoy the endless hiking trails, take in the glorious vistas, and to admire the numerous waterfalls.  The CRG stretches for 80 miles along the border between Oregon and Washington.  The gorge was carved by, yep you guessed it, the Columbia River.

The waterfalls found here are the main attraction, well, at least for landscape photographers, and most focus (no way to avoid this pun, sorry) on the Oregon side as it is home to 90-ish waterfalls, while the Washington side is the neglected stepchild with only about 15-20 falls to admire

Most visitors head to the “Waterfall Corridor” on the Oregon side, where quick hikes concentrated along an 8.5-mile portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway will allow you to visit a dozen or more waterfalls.  Here is a good overview of what can be seen there.  Multnomah Falls, Oregon’s tallest falls, is found here and is often the KEY attraction for most visitors.

Despite Oregon’s waterfall numerical superiority, my favorite waterfall (so far) is actually found on the lesser-visited Washington side of the Columbia River.  For my money, the Panther Creek Falls (PCF), as shown in the image above, is the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen.  The waterfall forms a bowl that wraps around, creating a magical, lush, green, ever-misty universe of tranquility.  The main fall drops 100 feet and then a secondary fall (not shown in my image) drops another 30 feet into the river below.  When the water flow is especially heavy, like during the spring when the snowmelt is at its greatest, some water will escape through the mossy field to the right of the main falls.  PCF is located in Gifford Pinchot National Forest.  Directions can be found here.

In the image below, we see the main falls off to the left, while to the right, in the foreground, we see smaller, more intricate channels that run off through moss-covered cliffs.

Here is a lower view as the water goes rushing by:

Another shot from below the falls:

And a final perspective focused on the main section of the falls:

If you are heading to the Columbia River Gorge, of course, hit the Oregon side and feast on the buffet of endless options of hikes and waterfalls along that 8.9-mile stretch of road.  But, if you can, get off the beaten path and visit the Panther Creek Falls for a tranquil treat.  In the spring, these falls are bursting with water and shades of green and are at their misty best.  Go early in the morning to beat the crowds (for the tranquil part) and bring a raincoat as the falls emit an endless fine spray that will leave you soaked if you linger.  It’s glorious.

Until next month…..m

Nikon Z9, Nikkor Z 14-30 mm (@15mm), f/9, 1/3 sec, ISO 64