The River Bluff trail is approximately .7 miles in length and is very rocky. It branches off from the northside of the Lake Shore Trail just beyond the Echo Canyon Trail. The trail crosses the Lake of the Dalles side of Echo Canyon and is approximately 60 feet above the lake, where there is an excellent view. The main part of the trail goes through Mossy Canyon, a narrow gorge cut by the river. It is called Mossy Canyon because the rocks and walls are covered by moss and lichens. The vegetation is relatively sparse, but there are cedar, pine, oak, and basswood trees. Stone steps lead hikers up and down the trail throughout the canyon. The Serpent's Head, an aged white pine tree that has a trunk shaped as a snake's head (due to various activity), is located at the downstream end of the River Bluff Trail. (Pond)

• Sand is deposited here because the river is wider and the velocity decreases here.
• People shouldn’t swim here because:
  • Eddies (the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle) can bring you down.
  • There are many rocks in the water.

• There is dipping of rocks toward the Minnesota side of the river (picture: Minnesota is on the left)
  • known as the Keweenawan lava flows
  • about 15 degrees southward
  • The Wisconsin side of the river has a greater area of exposed volcanic rocks, but the layered character of the lavas is more apparent on the Minnesota side