We had a couple of doggies who needed a romp, so we went to the new Best Hikes With Dogs book and figured Snoquera Falls would be a good early-season hike. We parked at the nice parking lot at the trailhead by the Camp Shepard Boy Scout camp. I have many memories of that place due to the several years I was involved with my sons' troop. You head up a very nicely built trail a few hundred yards to the camp's campfire program area. The direct route is to go straight, but I recommend going right and taking the little nature loop on a very good trail. It winds up right back at the campfire area in about a quarter mile. You then go right on a not-so-fancy trail, up a bit to a junction with the White River trail. The route to the falls is a bit to the right, going up. There is another junction in a quarter mile, and there you switchback left. The trail is in good condition for the 1.5 miles going up to the falls, with perhaps one large blowdown to get around. This time of year the falls are at their best, with plenty of water dropping over 200' from the palisades above. If you do not like rough scrambling, then you should turn around and return the way you came. We went forward and found that in a few hundred yards the trail totally disappeared under an apparent major rockslide. It must be at a point where there used to be some switchbacks, for our view of the topography indicated that the trail had to go down. We and the doggies carefully scrambled down the loose rock for about 100', angling to the West. We did find the trail again, although it is in very poor condition for the next half mile, with numerous large blowdowns. Eventually, the trail did improve and we worked our way down back to the White River trail, three miles after we last passed it. We turned right then and headed for Dalles Falls. The trails to the falls are in good condition, except that the bridge over Dalles Creek is gone, but some sturdy planks have been strategically placed and the crossing was easily accomplished by both two and four-footed hikers. Dalles Falls was also in peak form. It has more water than Snoquera, and fans out in a lovely shape bordered by green. The two mile return to the car by way of the White River Trail was quickly accomplished, making it a nice little trip of between five and six miles.

Took some Aussie friends out for a hike to show them the NW, so Snoquera seemed like a good place to start on a hot day. Started from parking lot at Camp Sheppard and headed into the cool woods. A little confusion at the scout campfire area, but memory served me correct and we headed uphill on the old dozer road to the junction. Once on the trail they were wowed by the flora: trilliums, columbine, indian paintbrush, just to name a few. Continued up the hill to the crossing over Snoquera Creek-- falls just above us. About 100 ft beyond creek is a very steep trail up to the falls. Had lunch at the falls kids dipped their feet in the cool water, then packed up for trip down. Decided to make entire loop, so we headed NW from the falls. IMPORTANT NOTE: if you don't like heights, or have small children, going this way is probably not a good idea. Trail cuts through numerous talus slopes, hopping boulders. Lost trail at a switchback and had to negotiate a very bad slope to find it. Finally back on trail, the hike down to valley was easy. Linked into White River trail and headed back towards cars via Camp Sheppard after a wonderful day. Beautiful falls, didn't rain, only saw one other person--what could be better

A nice early-season hike is up to the Snoquera Palisades, above the Camp Shepard Boy Scout Camp on Route 410. There is a nice new parking lot at the trailhead near milepost 53. The trails can be a little confusing leaving the parking lot. You stay left at the Boy Scout amphitheater and go left again on the White River trail, #1199, and go on past the Boy Scout camp. Keep going west past the junction with the Snoquera Falls trail and in about a mile and a half from the trailhead, go right toward the Palisades. The sign says that there are overlooks in 3 and 5 miles. Soon there is a creek crossing, where the bridge washed out a couple of years ago. There are some timbers that have been thrown in among the boulders, but the crossing can be tricky in high water. After the creek, the trail switchbacks up to a very spectacular falls, which is not named on the map. Also notable were the calypsos orchids along the trail. A wonderful staircase climbs the wall next to the falls, and after a few more switchbacks, the trail moderates through forest. About two and a half miles from the trailhead is a first overlook above the White River valley and in another mile and a half is a second overlook. This is actually the first one mentioned in the tail sign down at the bottom. This is where our group stopped for lunch and then turned around. The trail does continue, and a loop can be made by linking up with the Ranger Creek trail, for a total hike of 14 or 15 miles. There were only a few spots of snow near the overlook where we had lunch, but there is probably more snow further along the ridge right now.

A very peaceful drive out lonely highway 410 took me to Camp Sheppard and a series of hikes this fine day. The trek up to Snoquera Falls was excellent. The total lack of signs at all of the lower trail intersections made it even more fun...stay left at the camp fire circle and head uphill. There were a couple of fresh blowdowns across the trail but nothing to fret over. The hike up to the falls goes entirely through lush forest with a completely mossy groundcover in most areas. Stunning! This led me to start paying close attention to the elusive calypso orchid that I've wanted to get quality images of. Once I thought this to myself, the first of numerous herds of calypsos pranced across the trail! They were frisky critters this fine day, not wanting to stand still in the gusting winds of the morning. But patience endured, and they finally became used to my presence and calmed down so that I could photograph them. One particular herd of about 4-5 individuals were especially wonderful to shot at, as they pranced through a diffused light spot on the forest floor, standing tall above the towering moss covering the ground. Life was very good.... All along the forest floor is covered with vanilla leaf as well--some of the thickest populations of it I've ever seen. It should be blooming in another week or two. The upper trail passed through more open, rocky forest as it approached the cliffs above, and suddenly I could hear the water and I was there. Snoquera Falls is spectacular right now, and the wind made for a good drenching misty adventure nearing it. Cross the creek posed no problem for me since the boots are happy to handle walking in 4-5 inches of water. Once across a sidetrail UP took me to the base of the falls, and the half hour I spent here was splendid. After soaking myself and my camera gear up, I headed back down and enjoyed more photography of the creek and falls, then headed back down. A half mile before getting back to the trailhead, I opted for a 2-3 mile trek up the White River trail #1199, which was equally beautiful of a forest to wander through. Some great mushy areas of skunk cabbage and other goodies dotted the trailside. This makes for very pleasent extra miles to wander, since the trek to Snoquera Falls is only 1.5 miles from the trailhead. Grand spring romp!

THIS WAS A NICE LITTLE MID-WEEK BREAK FOR US. THE 1/4 MILE NATURE TRAIL HAD A LG. BLOW-DOWN AND SOME ICY SPOTS, BUT THE TRAIL UP TO THE FALLS WAS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE. THERE WAS ONLY 1 BLOW-DOWN THAT WAS EASY TO STEP AROUND AND A FEW LITTLE PATCHES OF SNOW OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL. RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE FALLS THERE IS A LITTLE HARD-PACKED SNOW. NOT MUCH SHOW TO THE WATERFALL, MORE LIKE A TRICKLE. THE TRAIL WAS DRY AND MADE FOR A NICE AFTERNOON. NOBODY ELSE ON THE TRAIL. SAW SOME ELK SCAT BUT NO ANIMALS OTHER THAN A CHIPMUNK AND SOME BIRDS.