Multnomah Falls, Oregon
Multnomah Falls, located in Oregon, is a majestic waterfall with a long and intriguing history. Formed by the Missoula Floods, the falls were once considered sacred by the Multnomah people, who have many stories about its creation. In the early 1800s, the falls were explored by Lewis and Clark, and the surrounding area soon became a popular tourist destination. In 1914, a bridge was built over the falls and a lodge was added in 1925, offering visitors a place to stay and learn about the falls' history. Today, Multnomah Falls is one of Oregon's most popular tourist attractions.
Challenges
Reservations are required to visit Multnomah Falls from late May through early September daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Get a timed reservation permit online for a $2.00 transaction fee.
Be prepared to share the area. This is a very popular tourist location, and it is nearly impossible to get it to yourself, but if you are very patient and have a lot of time on your hands, you can maybe pull it off. It might be faster to learn how to remove people from pictures, though.
The length of the hiking trail depends on whether a landslide has recently occurred. The trail to the bridge has been open every time we have visited, but the trail beyond that has been closed more often than it has been open.
Equipment
Sunscreen
Dress for the weather
Water
The Approach
From I-84, take exit 31. The exit will be from the left lane, so you’ll need to be watching to make sure you get in the left lane in time to exit. If you miss the exit, you will have to go a few miles to find a way back onto the freeway going the other direction. Exit 31 will put you right into the main parking area. If you take the Historic Columbia River Highway, you will see another patch of parking spaces directly in front of the Multnomah Falls Lodge.
The Trail
From the main parking area off I-84, you’ll walk to the tunnel that leads under the interstate to Multnomah Creek. Crossing the bridge, you’ll walk into the main courtyard with the lodge to your right. The bottom floor is a gift shop packed with all kinds of memorabilia. It is so full it can be difficult to move around if it is busy. Above the gift shop is the restaurant. We have never eaten here, but it has good reviews if you want to try it. I would highly recommend reserving a table online. To the left of the lodge is a small coffee shop if you need a pick-me-up.
Beyond the coffee shop, the courtyard continues to the base of the falls. This is a fantastic location for photographs. A slow shutter speed with an ND filter will give you that creamy water effect and help blur out the people on the bridge. A wide-angle lens will let you get close to the railing to keep your neighbors from entering your shot. If you’re not looking for that perfect professional shot, this is still an incredible view of the complete waterfall. The bridge is iconic, spreading across the creek between the upper and lower falls.
Facing the falls, a paved trail begins to your right and leads you to the bridge for an incredible view of the upper falls. A plaque at the bridge entrance tells a fantastic story of a wedding that was taking place on the bridge many years ago when rocks broke free near the top of the upper falls. The boulders plunged more than 500 feet into the pool below, causing a tidal wave of water to slam into the wedding party. Some injuries were reported, but everyone made full recoveries, and everyone left with an incredible wedding story to tell.
On the other side of the bridge, the trail continues. If no landslides have occurred, the trail can take you to the top of the upper falls. The trail is mostly paved, depending on when the last landslide was, and is mostly switchbacks. This inherently makes what seems like a short hike into a much longer hike with significant elevation over a relatively short distance. Know your stamina before you attempt this. The best views are from below, so you may not want to bother making the hike unless you want the bragging rights.
Other Waterfalls
There are several other waterfalls in this area. From the trail to the top of Multnomah Falls, you can reach Dutchman Falls, Weisendanger Falls, and Ecola Falls. Other waterfalls in the area include Bridal Veil Falls, Upper Bridal Veil Falls, Shephard’s Dell Falls, Huerta Falls, Latourell Falls, Upper Latourell Falls, Palisade Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Fairy Falls, Ponytail Falls, Upper Oneonta Falls, Triple Falls, Upper Elowa and McCord Creek Falls, Munra Falls, Wahclella Falls, Metlaco Falls, Punch Bowls Falls, Tish Creek Falls, Ruckel Creek Falls, Mossy Grotto Falls, Dry Creek Falls, Pacific Crest Falls, Herman Creek Falls, Emerald Falls, Gorton Creek Falls, Camp Benson Falls, Lyndsey Creek Falls, Lancaster Falls, Hole-In-The-Wall Falls, Cabin Creek Falls, Starvation Creek Falls, Mosier Creek Falls, and many more. Near Ponytail Falls, you can make a detour to Rock of Ages Arch; while not a waterfall, it is pretty neat.
If you cross the Columbia River into Washington, you can take in a few other sites like Catherine Creek Arch, Rowland Lake Falls, Spirit Falls, Dog Creek Falls, Dog Mountain, Dog Mountain Lookout, Steep Creek Falls, Heaven and Hell Falls, Lower Three Corner Falls, North Fork Rock Creek Falls, Gable Falls, Dougan Falls, Naked Falls, Reeder Falls, Hidden Falls, and Cape Horn Falls.
Summary
Multnomah Falls, the largest waterfall in Oregon, is a must-see attraction. You could spend weeks exploring all the other waterfalls in the area, not to mention traversing over 100 miles of trails. If you can only take in one waterfall, Multnomah has to be it. Its iconic, picturesque nature is inspirational. Take a moment to look for the small trout fry in Multnomah Creek. They are adorable when they are jumping out of the water to feed. If you have more time, take in as many other waterfalls as possible. Each is a unique, natural wonder to behold.
