Wahkeena Creek is located less than a mile west of Multnomah Creek. "Wahkeena" is a Yakama Tribe word meaning "most beautiful", and it is a fitting description of this wonderful creek.

Nearly all creeks in the Gorge have a network of tributary streams flowing from higher elevations, but Wahkeena is isolated and unique because it has only a single source (Wahkeena Springs, located 1.5 miles above Wahkeena Falls). This isolation has created a unique habitat for eight species of aquatic insects that are only found in the Columbia River Gorge, and two of those (Nemoura wahkeena and Neothremma andersoni) are found only in the Wahkeena watershed.