Benson Plateau (4,000') is a high, flat expanse in the Columbia River Gorge separating the Herman Creek (east) and Eagle Creek (west) drainages. This peculiar plateau is a remnant of widespread lava flows that eroded down to the form we see today. The PCT runs 9.1 miles from Bridge of the Gods to the NE side of the plateau with access to Dry Creek Falls and Pacific Crest Falls.

The modern Columbia River basin took shape 12,000-19,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age as massive ice dams in NW Montana repeatedly gave way and water walls rushed seaward

The PCT crosses Dry Creek 2 miles south of Bridge of the Gods and continues moderately to Pacific Crest Falls and the Herman Bridge Trail split

Vine maple is the dominant understory tree/shrub along this section of the PCT; it prefers moist, nitrogen-rich soil and is among the first trees/shrubs to reclaim disturbed spaces

Dry Creek Falls drops approximately 230' in at least 5 stages, though only the lowest tier (74') is readily visible

The Columbia River supports one of the world's largest and most complex hydropower systems, with 14 dams along the main river and over 450 dams throughout the basin

Bigleaf Maple crowns differ by growing environment; in dense forests it will develop a narrow crown supported by stem-free branches for half its length, while in the open it will develop a broad crown with a few large supporting limbs

The forest south of Bridge of the Gods is generally second growth with a few large legacy trees

The Columbia River is the fourth largest river by volume in North America, draining an area roughly the size of France

Leaves change color in the fall as chlorophyll production slows and less dominate pigments can be seen; carotenoids produce orange and yellow colors, while reds and purples come from anthocyanins, a pigment formed when sugars break down in bright sunlight

The PCT runs approximately 460 miles through Oregon, then 500 miles through Washington from Bridge of the Gods on the Columbia River (south) to Monument 78 on the Canadian border (north)

Dry Creek Falls drops into a narrow, easy to access amphitheater .2 miles off the PCT

Thimbleberries (Rubus parviflorus) are very similar to blackberries and raspberries; Rubus is actually Latin for Blackberry plants, or brambles

The PCT passes the Herman Pinnacles, odd basalt formations that can be brittle and unsafe to free-climb

Pacific Crest Falls is a hidden gem 3.9 miles from Bridge of the Gods along the PCT; it's nominally visible from the trail, but a short, rugged scramble leads to good views of this impressive fall

The PCT opens with river views just a few times on this otherwise heavily-forested section of trail

Manzanita is found only across a short narrow, exposed ridge below Teakettle Spring on this section of the PCT

Travel steepens considerably past the Herman Bridge Trail split on a 3000', 4.9 climb to Benson Plateau

Benson Plateau is distinguished by uniform tree columns, a grassy understory and nearly-flat grades

Short sections of the PCT cross open basalt-cobbled slopes dotted with bigleaf maple

Uniform tree patterns combined with flat light on Benson Plateau can be disorienting

Freeze-thaw cycles dislodge basalt rocks creating cobbled conditions near the Herman Pinnacles