Franz Lake Viewpoint
Franz Lake Viewpoint sits at 64 feet along the byway running between the Gibbons Creek crossing and the junction with Plymouth Industrial Road, with the land dropping 45 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. Several waterfalls are visible to the south and south-southeast, including Horsetail Falls at 1.3 miles, Ponytail Falls at 1.4 miles, Waespe Falls at 1.5 miles, and the Oneonta Falls group (Oneonta, Middle Oneonta, and Upper Oneonta) between 1.5 and 1.7 miles out. Ainsworth Day Use Area is also visible to the southeast at 1.4 miles. To the west-northwest and northwest, Quiver Point and Arrow Point appear at 1.1 miles, at elevations of 1,603 feet and 1,827 feet. Gresham lies 18.6 miles to the west-southwest, with Vancouver 28.7 miles west and Portland 29.3 miles west-southwest. Quiver Point is the previous lookout along the route, and Hardy Falls Viewpoint follows next. Sunrise and sunset times vary seasonally, from a 05:20 sunrise and 21:02 sunset at the June solstice to a 07:47 sunrise and 16:28 sunset at the December solstice.

What you’re looking at
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
- Quiver Point1,603 ftwest-northwest · 1.1 mi
- Arrow Point1,827 ftnorthwest · 1.1 mi
- Horsetail Falls313 ftsouth-southeast · 1.3 mi
- Ponytail Falls595 ftsouth-southeast · 1.4 mi
- Ainsworth Day Use Area169 ftsoutheast · 1.4 mi
- Waespe Falls873 ftsouth · 1.5 mi
- Waespe Point1,053 ftsouth · 1.5 mi
- Oneonta Falls481 ftsouth-southeast · 1.5 mi
- Middle Oneonta Falls484 ftsouth-southeast · 1.5 mi
- Upper Oneonta Falls565 ftsouth-southeast · 1.7 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:12 | 19:21 | 18:42 |
| June solstice | 05:20 | 21:02 | 20:16 |
| September equinox | 06:56 | 19:08 | 18:29 |
| December solstice | 07:47 | 16:28 | 15:38 |
Local time (America/Los_Angeles). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Gresham18.6 mi west-southwest
- Vancouver28.7 mi west
- Portland29.3 mi west-southwest
Take the scenic way to Franz Lake Viewpoint.
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How high is Franz Lake Viewpoint?
Franz Lake Viewpoint sits at about 64 feet (19 m).
What can you see from Franz Lake Viewpoint?
From Franz Lake Viewpoint: Quiver Point (WNW, 1.1 mi); Arrow Point (NW, 1.1 mi); Horsetail Falls (SSE, 1.3 mi); Ponytail Falls (SSE, 1.4 mi).
What is the nearest town to Franz Lake Viewpoint?
Gresham, 19 miles WSW of Franz Lake Viewpoint.
What is the next lookout after Franz Lake Viewpoint?
Hardy Falls Viewpoint is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Franz Lake Viewpoint.
Drive to Franz Lake Viewpoint with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Jct Crossing Of Gibbons Creek Vic Washougal To Jct Plymouth Industrial Rd, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
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Locals make it Verified.
Franz Lake Viewpoint — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
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