shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileOregon

in the Columbia River Gorge, just west of Multnomah Falls

Wahkeena Falls

Name: Wahkeena Falls — on ceramic tile, by WenderVista
Brand: WenderVista

— — the one whose name means most beautiful.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A 242-foot tiered cascade on Wahkeena Creek, a short walk west of its more famous neighbour Multnomah Falls. The Yakama word wahkeena translates as most beautiful. The water steps down a basalt slot in three runs, mossy ferns on either side, a stone footbridge across the lower pool. Burned in the 2017 fire and slowly green again.

from the studio

— bring it home

Wahkeena Falls, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Wahkeena Falls

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

Wahkeena Falls drops about 242 feet in three tiers down a basalt slot on Wahkeena Creek, in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area within Mount Hood National Forest. The trailhead sits on the Historic Columbia River Highway about half a mile west of Multnomah Falls. The name is from the Yakama language and is usually translated as most beautiful. The Simon Benson family helped develop the site as part of the original Gorge highway picnic grounds in 1915.

— informed by Wikipedia — Wahkeena Falls, Wikipedia — Columbia River Gorge

— the water

Wahkeena Creek is spring-fed off the ridge above the Gorge and runs at a steadier flow than the snowmelt waterfalls farther east. The cascade does not freeze through in most winters and keeps a usable flow into late summer. A short paved path climbs to a stone footbridge across the lower pool, with a longer trail continuing up to Fairy Falls, Lemmons Viewpoint, and an upper loop that ties into the Multnomah Falls trail system.

— informed by Wikipedia — Wahkeena Falls

— the visit

The picnic area and lower viewpoint are about a quarter mile from the parking lot on a paved trail with a moderate grade. The full loop up to Fairy Falls and back down through Multnomah is roughly five miles with about 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The site burned in the September 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and reopened in stages; the lower viewpoint came back first, the upper trail later. No fee at the trailhead.

— informed by Wikipedia — Eagle Creek Fire

— where

United States · Multnomah County, Oregon

— within

Mount Hood National Forest

— position

45.5759° N · 122.1297° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

1 km E

Multnomah Falls

Columbia Gorge waterfall

1 km S, uphill

Fairy Falls

upstream waterfall

12 km W

Vista House at Crown Point

historic observatory

10 km W

Latourell Falls

Columbia Gorge waterfall

Wahkeena Falls

Multnomah Falls

Fairy Falls

Vista House at Crown Point

Latourell Falls

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Wahkeena Falls — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

It is a Yakama word, usually translated as most beautiful. The falls were given the name in 1915 by the Simon Benson family, who helped develop the site as part of the Historic Columbia River Highway picnic grounds.

About 242 feet, falling in three tiers down a basalt slot on Wahkeena Creek. It is one of the taller waterfalls in the western Columbia River Gorge, though it is often overshadowed by its neighbour Multnomah.

On the Historic Columbia River Highway in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, about half a mile west of Multnomah Falls. The site is within Mount Hood National Forest in northern Oregon.

A quarter-mile paved path reaches the lower viewpoint and stone footbridge. A longer loop continues up to Fairy Falls and Lemmons Viewpoint and ties into Multnomah Falls trail, about five miles with 1,600 feet of gain.

Yes. The Eagle Creek Fire burned through the western Gorge in September 2017. The lower viewpoint reopened first, and upper trail sections came back later as crews cleared burned trees and stabilised slopes.

No permit for the lower viewpoint. Parking is free at the Wahkeena lot, and a Northwest Forest Pass is not required. The neighbouring Multnomah Falls site uses a timed-entry permit in peak summer.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. Wahkeena is the quieter neighbour to Multnomah, and Gorge regulars love that it gets named. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio carries it well.

The mossy greens, fern shadows, and cool basalt read in Pacific Northwest modern, biophilic, and craftsman rooms. It also softens a minimal palette without leaning rustic or themed.

Yes. Biophilic design pulls in water, stone, and forest cues at once, and a fern-lined cascade carries all three. The cool palette holds against planted walls and natural timber.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads at the right scale. A four-tile Mural opens it across a long console. A nine-tile Mural is a feature-wall piece.

Yes, with the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and handle steam and splash. The Glossy finish is for framed wall pieces in dry rooms.

Microfibre cloth and plain water. No abrasives, no ammonia, no citrus cleaners. The colour lives inside the ceramic surface, so the tile cleans like a fine porcelain plate.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is original to the studio, with no licensing in or out. Reid curates the atlas and signs off the work before it ships.

— if this one stayed with you