White River Falls State Park is a popular and scenic picnicking, hiking and fishing retreat for visitors to the Deschutes River corridor.

The park offers excellent viewpoints of the White River falls. A rugged quarter-mile trail takes hikers down deep within the canyon to the historic hydroelectric power plant at the base of the raw, churning power of the falls. The power plant supplied electricity to Wasco and Sherman Counties from 1910 until the completion of The Dalles Dam in 1960.

Opening early each spring when the desert flowers are in bloom and closing after the leaves turn in the fall, this park offers all of the intrigue of history since time began. The chasm of the falls tells a geological story of violence and power; the old grist pond tells the story of people learning to use that power.

: With a large elevation range, climate on the Ochoco changes depending on elevation. The high elevations receive much more precipitation and colder temperatures. Much of the precipitation comes from October to April, mostly in the form of snow in the higher elevations. Winter temperatures can drop well below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Late spring, summer and early autumn tend to bring clear, sunny days, with warm to hot temperatures at the low elevations and moderate temperatures at the higher elevations. Summer afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon.

Location: White River Falls State Park is located in the Central Region of Oregon off OR 216, 39 miles south of The Dalles.

Contact Info: Oregon Parks & Recreation Department1115 Commercial Street NESalemOR97301-1002800-551-6949