Oneonta Gorge is in the Columbia River Gorge along the Oregon side and is a designated botanical area by The U.S. Along Oneonta Creek as it runs through the gorge, there are two waterfalls on the creek. Upper Oneonta Falls can be seen clearly from a footpath. The lower gorge has been preserved as a natural habitat, so there is no boardwalk or footpath through it and can only be seen by walking upstream from the creek's outlet at the Historic Columbia River Highway.
To get to a vantage point where the entire lower falls is visible can require wading through water that in some places can be chest-deep, depending on the season and the relative amount of snow-melt. First photographed by Carleton E Watkins, a native of Oneonta, New York, named the Oneonta Falls after his hometown. Carleton Watkins (1829-1916) was an American photographer of the 19th century. Born in New York, he moved to California and quickly became interested in photography. He focused mainly on landscape photos, and Yosemite was a favorite subject of his. His photos of the valley significantly influenced the United States Congress’ decision to preserve it as a National Park.
