Apron Falls
Skamania County, Washington
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Skamania County, Washington
- Access status
- Partial guide: user-maintained trail on public and land trust property; no distance to this falls
- The walk
- No distance is published to Apron Falls; the full hike to Railcar Falls, beyond it, is 4.3 miles round trip
- Ground & access
- Rooty, steep user-maintained trail; Oregon Hikers says it is usually easy to follow. Blowdown has been cleared in places. The falls is mostly dry in summer.
Apron Falls (called Slide Falls by canyoneers) is a wide cascade down a sloping rock face on the East Fork Duncan Creek, in the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. From the turnaround, walk back down the road, cross the road bridge over Duncan Creek, go around the crash barrier on the north side and take the obvious path up; about 25 yards from the road the trail branches left up the bluff. Cross a plank bridge over the West Fork Duncan Creek, climb to the ridge, then drop to a campsite above the East Fork and hike upstream past Lower Quad Falls and Quad Falls, through the Columbia Land Trust parcel called Good's Woods. Apron Falls comes into view ahead; at the junction signed for Railcar Falls, the spur to the right gives a closer view. Return the same way. Oregon Hikers says this trail is rooty and steep in places, not a standard built trail.
Plan your visit
Paved turnaround under the powerlines at the end of Duncan Creek Road in Skamania, across the road bridge and up the user-built Duncan Creek trail along the East Fork Duncan Creek to the Railcar Falls junction spur
Oregon Hikers gives 4.3 miles round trip with 1,100 feet of elevation gain for the Duncan Creek hike to Railcar Falls, which is past Apron Falls. It gives no separate distance to Apron Falls.
Rooty, steep user-maintained trail; Oregon Hikers says it is usually easy to follow. Blowdown has been cleared in places. The falls is mostly dry in summer.
Where to start
Paved turnaround under powerlines, 2.9 miles up Duncan Creek Road from Highway 14 in Skamania; park off to the side. Turn left off Highway 14 onto Duncan Creek Road, then make an immediate 180-degree left to stay on it.
Timing & water
Oregon Hikers lists the hike as open all year except in deeper snow. Apron Falls covers the whole rock face in the wet season and is a trickle in summer.
Before you go
No fee is mentioned. Oregon Hikers lists no camping or fires.
Visitor informationVisit sources
More waterfalls nearby
Within 40 straight-line miles. Road and trail distances will differ.
- Railcar FallsPartial: user-maintained trail with blocked views; the road above the falls is private timberlandSkamania County, WA0.2 miNE
- Quad FallsUser-built trail on public and land trust property to a spur viewpointSkamania County, WA0.4 miS
- Lower Quad FallsPartial guide: user-maintained trail; no distance or close viewpoint for this falls is describedSkamania County, WA0.5 miS
- Nellie Corser CascadeShort wildlife area loop past the cascades; avoid the posted private parcelSkamania County, WA0.7 miS
- Duncan Creek FallsShort wildlife area loop past the falls; avoid the posted private parcel48 ft (14.6 m) · Skamania County, WA0.9 miSE
- Indian Mary Falls33 ft (10 m) · Skamania County, WA1.2 miSW
- Archer Falls218 ft (66.4 m) · Skamania County, WA1.5 miSW
- Gable Falls192 ft (58.5 m) · Skamania County, WA2.5 miSW
- Naked FallsPartial guide: private land open for a paid parking pass; trail details not describedSkamania County, WA3.1 miNW