Latourell Falls Adventure Session
When I reached out on social media looking for couples to photograph, Brian and Lorin responded and I’m so glad they did! They were down to do an adventurous couples session out at Latourell Falls in the Columbia River Gorge, and it was so much fun! While not technically their engagement, Latourell Falls is the perfect spots for an engagement session, elopement, or even a micro wedding!
How to Get to Latourell Falls
Latourell Falls is just a quick 30 minute drive East from Portland on I-84 and the Columbia River Highway. You can actually see the waterfall from the parking lot, and it is barely a quarter of a mile trail down to the base of the waterfall.
In the summer, between May and September it is important to know that there is a timed entry permit to access the Historic Columbia River Highway between 9 AM and 6 PM. This makes Latourell Falls ideal for a sunrise or sunset elopement or a Spring or Fall elopement location.
What to Know About Latourell Falls
Latourell Falls is just one of a dozen waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge that you can have an engagement session or elopement at. However, it is more accessible than the majority of waterfalls, and you can explore around the base of the falls more than at most other waterfalls. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even hike further and do the entire 2 mile loop that leads to Upper Latourell Falls as well.
The waterfall itself is extremely impressive! Latourell Falls is a 250 foot drop, and is absolutely raging in the Spring and Fall making it an epic photo backdrop. This makes it one of the most popular and beautiful waterfalls to get married at in the Columbia River Gorge!
When it is below freezing come prepared with solid traction hiking shoes and potentially micro spikes. As we found out at Brian and Lorin’s session, the area around the waterfall can freeze turning the trail into ice!
Latourell Falls Adventure Couple’s Session
Brian and Lorin had never seen Latourell Falls before and they were instantly blown away by the waterfall! The closest photo spot to the waterfall was busy when they first arrived, so we took a quick back trail I had scoped out to take photos in a less crowded location.
One thing I love about Latourell Falls for couples and elopement sessions is that there is so many spots to take photos! The trail runs right under the Historic Columbia River Highway, and the photos under the bridge were some of my favorite shots.
When we did venture closer the waterfall we found the trail covered in ice! Brian and Lorin were amazing though and we still safely captured some beautiful moments of them by the waterfall. I love couples who are down for an adventure and despite the unexpected cold and ice, they were still able to have a fun time.
