Multnomah Falls Hike

Overview

Multnomah Falls, which includes three separate drops (the upper falls, the main falls, and the lower falls) for a total of 635 feet, is without doubt Oregon's most recognizable waterfall and arguably its most awe-inspiring. It is also the tallest waterfall in Oregon. However, local boosters like to bill the waterfall as one of the highest waterfalls (second highest? fourth highest?) in the United States. Alas, according to the World Waterfall Database, Multnomah Falls is the 156th tallest waterfall in the United States (that statistic includes some seasonal waterfalls). Nonetheless, the falls are an impressive sight, especially when they are a thundering plunge deep into the wet season or a muted ice-encased column in the throes of a freezing spell. The paved trail to the top of the falls involves threading through crowds of visitors from around the world: come before 9:00 a.m. if you want to experience a relatively people-free passage. At viewpoints along the way, you can experience different perspectives on the waterfall, which plunges from a hanging valley left high above the river bottom after the Columbia River carved its way through layers of basalt as the Cascade mountains began their period of uplift during the Pleistocene. The trail begins at Multnomah Falls Lodge, a historic building built to serve early automobile travelers in 1925. From a photographer's viewpoint, get a head on vista of both the lower and main tiers of Multnomah Falls and the picturesque span of the Benson Bridge. From here, the trail is a gently sloped 2/10 mile paved path to the Benson Bridge, put in place in 1914 by Simon Benson, one of the builders of the old highway. This part of the trail has one switchback, although one small flight of a few stairs blocks the way to wheelchairs beyond the lower falls viewpoint. You'll pass below a rock net and can look up to see the seasonal Shady Creek Falls, which splash down a cliff just west of Multnomah Falls. Beyond the bridge, poison oak flourishes along the base of a rock face and

Trail Stats

Photos

400px-MultFallsMap

400px-MultFallsMap

160px-Little-leaf_montia_%28Montia_parvifolia%29%2C_Multnomah_Falls

160px-Little-leaf_montia_%28Montia_parvifolia%29%2C_Multnomah_Falls

250px-MultnomahPlatform

250px-MultnomahPlatform

250px-Little_Multnomah_Falls

250px-Little_Multnomah_Falls

250px-MultnomahFalls

250px-MultnomahFalls

260px-Multnomah_Falls_from_viewing_deck

260px-Multnomah_Falls_from_viewing_deck

TKO put tools to trail here.png

TKO put tools to trail here.png

Tags