Vanishing Falls
About
Vanishing Falls is a waterfall in Clackamas County, Oregon, set at about 2,098 feet inside the Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness. The falls sit within the Zigzag Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest, and the nearest town is Rhododendron, about 5 miles away. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the nearby Three Lynx weather station show July and August highs in the upper 70s with only four or five wet days a month, while winter brings highs around 41°F and rain on 20 or more days. The Kinzel Lake Trail #665 starts less than a mile away, and the Kinzel Lake hike is the same distance. Draw Creek, a canoeing spot, is about 3 miles off, and Green Canyon Campground is about 3.5 miles away.
Waterfall Facts
Elevation
2,098 ft
Elevation from USGS 3D Elevation Program terrain data (about 10 m resolution).
Location
Vanishing Falls
Oregon
Name and location: U.S. Geological Survey, Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). Elevation: USGS 3D Elevation Program. View the GNIS record.
Facts about this place
When to go
Best time to go: May–Sep. The mildest months here, with typical highs of 64–79°F and lows of 44–53°F.
Typical monthly averages (not a forecast) from the Three Lynx, OR weather station, 12 mi away. High / low in °F.
- Jan41° high33° low
- Feb46° high33° low
- Mar51° high35° low
- Apr57° high39° low
- May64° high44° low
- Jun69° high49° low
- Jul78° high53° low
- Aug79° high52° low
- Sep73° high48° low
- Oct59° high42° low
- Nov47° high37° low
- Dec41° high32° low
Where it is
- Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness · Wilderness
- Zigzag Ranger District · Ranger district
- Mt. Hood National Forest · National forest
- Nearest town
- Rhododendron, Oregon · 4.8 mi
Source: Wilderness.net boundaries; USFS EDW boundaries; USGS GNIS populated places
Conditions
Active alerts for Zigzag Ranger District as of Oct 9, 2026:
Tamarack Quarry closed beginning Sept. 1
caution · posted Sep 28, 2026
information · posted Aug 24, 2026
Source: USFS forest alerts
Nearby
- KINZEL LAKEHiking0.8 mi
- Kinzel Lake Trail #665Hiking0.8 mi
- Draw CreekCanoeing3.2 mi
- Green Canyon CgCamping3.5 mi
- South Fork Salmon RiverCanoeing3.6 mi
- Salmon River SlabRock climbing4 mi
- Still Creek CgCamping4.4 mi
- Swine (aka Enola Hill), TheRock climbing5.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
