Lower Quad Falls
Skamania County, Washington
Your visit at a glance
- Waterfall height
- Not recorded
- Location
- Skamania County, Washington
- Access status
- Partial guide: user-maintained trail; no distance or close viewpoint for this falls is described
- The walk
- No distance is published to Lower Quad Falls; the full hike to Railcar Falls, well 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.
Lower Quad Falls is a series of cascades that tumble in several drops through a narrow defile on the East Fork Duncan Creek, on 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. Hike upstream past an old water intake and a clearcut across the creek. The trail passes above a narrow defile; above it is a wider waterfall, part of the Lower Quad Falls group. Quad Falls is next, upstream. 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 trail section above the Lower Quad Falls defile
Oregon Hikers gives 4.3 miles round trip for the Duncan Creek hike to Railcar Falls, which passes Lower Quad Falls on the way. It gives no separate distance to Lower Quad Falls.
Rooty, steep user-maintained trail; Oregon Hikers says it is usually easy to follow. Blowdown has been cleared in places.
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.
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.
- Quad FallsUser-built trail on public and land trust property to a spur viewpointSkamania County, WA0.1 miNW
- Nellie Corser CascadeShort wildlife area loop past the cascades; avoid the posted private parcelSkamania County, WA0.2 miSE
- Duncan Creek FallsShort wildlife area loop past the falls; avoid the posted private parcel48 ft (14.6 m) · Skamania County, WA0.4 miSE
- Apron FallsPartial guide: user-maintained trail on public and land trust property; no distance to this fallsSkamania County, WA0.5 miN
- Railcar FallsPartial: user-maintained trail with blocked views; the road above the falls is private timberlandSkamania County, WA0.7 miN
- Indian Mary Falls33 ft (10 m) · Skamania County, WA0.9 miSW
- Archer Falls218 ft (66.4 m) · Skamania County, WA1.2 miSW
- Gable Falls192 ft (58.5 m) · Skamania County, WA2.2 miSW
- Naked FallsPartial guide: private land open for a paid parking pass; trail details not describedSkamania County, WA3.6 miNW