Built as a wilderness retreat on the Washougal River near the Columbia River Gorge by a prominent Portland judge (below, with his visage carved into an old cedar stump) in the 1920s, the Three Waterfalls Lodge is a secluded, picturesque setting for a family retreat over spring break.
The property features several acres and is located in a classic Pacific coast rainforest of large Douglas firs, Western red cedars and the occasional Sitka spruce, with Bracken ferns and sword ferns and moss -- lots of moss -- virtually everywhere. Weather cooperated and provided both days of sun and rain.
Best views were from the front deck overlooking the Washougal River (above) ambling down to the Columbia River Gorge about 10 miles downstream. The cabin, built before the existence of such things as building codes or land use laws, could never exist near such sensitive waterways in this day and age.
Despite its age, the lodge has been upgraded with all the modern amenities, including wi-fi capability, though cell phone service was a bit spotty.
Nonetheless, we had "old school" features, like a turntable with a healthy collection of vinyl record albums, and a television with a plentiful supply of VHS tapes, along with board games and playing cards.
