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White River Falls

An out-of-the-way state park in Oregon that features both a picturesque waterfall and the ruins of a hydropower plant.

Maupin, Oregon

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slgwv
White River Canyon below the falls.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Park informational sign.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Upper falls.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Upper falls, with broken penstock (feeder pipe) for the hydropower plant.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Falls from below.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ruins of the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ruins of the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Derelict turbine and generator inside the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Derelict turbine and generator inside the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Derelict powerhouse and penstock, with the falls in the background.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
White River Falls.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Derelict powerhouse and penstock, with the falls behind.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ruins of the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Falls with the powerhouse penstock in the foreground.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ruins of the powerhouse. Note the access trail at right, with steps.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
Ruins of the powerhouse.   slgwv (Atlas Obscura User)
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About

The White River rises on the eastern flank of Mt. Hood and flows easterly, dropping into the canyon of the Deschutes River over an attractive set of stepped waterfalls.

From 1910 through 1960, the falls were also the site of a small hydroelectric generating station. Water was diverted above the falls and run to a powerhouse near the base. The operation always had problems with siltation and was finally rendered obsolete by the completion of The Dalles Dam on the Columbia in 1960.

A steep trail runs down to the derelict powerhouse, which still contains much of the old installed equipment and also allows access to the river below the falls.

Related Tags

Engineering Dams Trails

Know Before You Go

The falls are just off Oregon State Route 216, on the south side, east of US-197.

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Published

December 17, 2021

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