The stretch of the Deschutes River around Cline Falls runs through a basalt rimrock canyon with a narrow band of wetlands on either side of the channel. The canyon environment is dominated by western juniper with ponderosa pine in some areas. The most common ground cover plants near the falls are sagebrush and bitterbrush. Sagebrush is found from the canyon rim to the river shoreline. The riparian wetlands along the river bank support willow, alder, locust, and poplar trees. Cattails and sedges are common along the water's edge and extend into the river channel above Cline Falls.