Souther Creek

Be aware: Souther Creek is on private land. Please see Red Tape before running this creek. Souther Creek is a small drainage located between the towns of Stevenson and Carson on the north shore of the Columbia River Gorge. It has two good-sized waterfalls that makes for a short adventure. Flow can be extreme during the winter run-off but reduces to a trickle in late summer. Best visited during spring conditions with decent flow. The original approach requires some navigation and bushwhacking through a poison oak infested forest. Long pants/sleeves recommended.

Check point: Walk in a short distance to check the flow on Sweeney Falls. From Bridge of the Gods, head east on Hwy 14 for ~5mi. At a sharp bend where Hwy 14 crosses Souther Creek, park in a large unsigned pullout on the north side of the highway. From the pullout, walk east along Hwy 14 for 0.1mi to the next drainage east. Spot an unsigned gate blocking an overgrown road. Bypass the gate and follow the logging road up. At a split in the road take the left branch to its end then do some easy bushwacking downwards to the creek while doing your best to avoid the poison oak. Enter the creek at approx. UTM 10 589750mE 5062697mN. It should be a gentle ramp all the way into the creek. Just upstream is a short mossy narrows and sizeable pool which makes a good poison oak rinse-off station.

Head downstream about 5-10min to the top of R1. Walk 5min to R2. Take a minute below the falls to explore the mining tunnel that disappears some 70ft back into the bedrock on canyon right. Sometimes bats and giant scary cave-crickets are found herein. R2 is featured in a number of hiking guidebooks and unfortunately collects trash. Please help us keep the area clean by packing out any trash you might encounter.