I’m probably a bit more skittish than most when it comes to taking my kiddos hiking with me.

While I see other parents bring their kids along with them on all the hikes in the Columbia River Gorge so many of those trails give me anxiety seeing kids near steep drops so with that being said my favorite hike in the gorge to take my kids to is Bridal Veil Falls.

This whole area is overall quite family friendly in my opinion as there always seems to be plenty of parking, plenty of flat space for kiddos to spread out and play games, and some great picnic spots to boot.

Bridal Veil Falls is so much more than just a waterfall. It’s a whole “scenic viewpoint” as well. There are 2 trails accessible form the park, one to the waterfall itself and the other loops you around the different vantage points of the viewpoint.

With the history of all the timber barons in this area it’s not surprising that there would have been a lumber mill in the Columbia River Gorge and if you explore this area closely you can still see the decaying bones of an old lumber mill that once stood proud on this verandah. In fact, a corrugated iron shed is the last standing structure of the Bridal Veil Falls Lumbering Company.

If all you’re in the mood for is a scenic family picnic then you’ve come to the right place. You can park and have restrooms at your disposal, plus plenty of picnic spots to choose from on the scenic Overlook trail. The trail is only ½ mile long and has essentially no elevation gain so is both family and mobility friendly.

Not only can you take in some pretty majestic views of the Columbia River itself but you can also glimpse across the river to the “Washington” side of the Gorge. On that side you can find Beacon Rock, Hamilton & Archer Mountains, & the Pillars of Hercules.

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The waterfall is fed by a Bridal Veil creek which originates as an underground spring high up on nearby Larch Mountain. Bridal Veil Falls Lumbering Company almost destroyed its namesake in the pursuit of its business.

In 1886 the waterfall had all but dried up due to the lumber mill having diverted the water to use for a V-shaped log flume system that would bring fresh cut trees from the sister mill town of Palmer which sat at the top of Larch Mountain, down to the mill town of Bridal Veil, and then further down to the railroad located below this location.

By 1935 timber resources were running out and the mills were looking at having to close, coincidently (some say) there was a fire in 1936 that destroyed most of the mill forcing its closure. In 1937 Kraft (yes, the Mac and Cheese brand) purchased the town (population 100, give or take) and its mill and used it as a site to manufacture wooden ammunition boxes that were used during World War II.

Thankfully once the mill closed up in 1988, the water began flowing again, but the landscape was forever changed due to their making a new creek thanks to a dike that they had built.

If you’re up for a bit more of a challenge you can take the trail down to the waterfall itself by following the gravel trail to the right of the junction. While it is a bit steep of a walk down and so it is probably not wheel friendly, its is super short at only 0.3 miles so on low pain days even I can manage it quite well.

Keep in mind though that what goes down must eventually come back up so as you traverse two switchbacks down you should pace yourself and make sure you have enough oomph on the turnaround.

There are also some steps that will need to be managed, first concrete ones (that can be slick with ice in colder months) down to the creek, and then some decaying wooden ones that bring you up to the viewing platform itself.

Bridal Veil Falls is aptly named, as the waterfall resembles a bride’s veil draped over moss covered basalt, the 120 foot waterfall drops in 2 delicate tiers underneath one of the old highway bridges.  

In fact it is the only waterfall in the gorge that is BELOW the highway.

There are a lot of great photo vantage spots in this area and some thrill seekers even choose to climb atop a massive boulder that fell to the base.

The Crown Point Historical Society fought for 10 years to preserve the mill town but unfortunately lost the battle and in 2001 almost everything except the church, cemetery and post office was demolished.

In 2011 the Bridal Veil community church was also razed. All that remains of the timber boom – now ghost- town of Bridal Veil is a cemetery (which shows the impact that smallpox and diphtheria had on the already tiny town)  and post office which couples who get married in the gorge like to use to postmark their wedding invitations.