Barrier Falls
Clatsop County, Oregon
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Clatsop County, Oregon
- Access status
- Signed hatchery nature trail to a creek viewpoint
- The walk
- Short walk; the trail sign gives 1,100 feet to the falls
- Ground & access
- Short forest path with interpretive signs. The path crosses the hatchery road.
Barrier Falls is a 5-foot slide over a basalt shelf on Gnat Creek, a natural barrier to fish, beside the Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery in Clatsop County. From the covered picnic shelter at the hatchery visitor parking, walk past the sign for Barrier Falls. The path passes under power lines into woods; at a junction, go left and cross the hatchery road to the Barrier Falls Viewpoint. A short interpretive loop leads down to the creek and back. Near the rearing tanks, an overlook shows a 15-foot waterfall on a side stream.
Plan your visit
Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery visitor parking off US 30 to the Barrier Falls Viewpoint on a signed nature trail
The sign at the visitor parking picnic shelter states Barrier Falls 1100 feet. The Northwest Waterfall Survey describes the signed path as 500 feet to an overlook. The two figures may measure to different points.
Short forest path with interpretive signs. The path crosses the hatchery road.
Where to start
Visitor Parking at the covered picnic area of the Gnat Creek Fish Hatchery, which sits beside US 30 about 15.5 miles west of Clatskanie. Visitor parking is behind the fish rearing ponds.
Timing & water
No seasonal closure is mentioned. The hatchery is a working Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife facility.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Fishhawk FallsResearched walking routeClatsop County, OR15 miS
Youngs River FallsVerified parking and downhill approachClatsop County, OR16 miSW
Beaver FallsShort trail and parking pullout documented233 ft (71 m) · Columbia County, OR18 miE- Stillwater FallsCowlitz County, WA23 miNE
Hug Point FallsBeach walk documented; passable at low tide onlyClatsop County, OR33 miSW- Nehalem FallsShort trail from a state forest campground to the riverside fallsTillamook County, OR33 miSW
Rainbow FallsState park riverbank beside the falls; exact viewing spot not described; Discover Pass requiredLewis County, WA34 miN- Marietta FallsCowlitz County, WA35 miE
- Blumenthal FallsTrail and beach walk to the lower tier; upper user trails closedTillamook County, OR36 miSW