Multnomah Falls Travel Guide

  Benson Bridge
by fred98115
 
  • Benson Bridge
      Benson Bridge
    by fred98115
  • Lower Falls and the Viewer Platform
      Lower Falls and the Viewer Platform
    by fred98115
  • Bridal Veil Falls from Trail's End
      Bridal Veil Falls from Trail's End
    by fred98115
  • Multnomah Falls
      Multnomah Falls
    by fred98115
  • Lower Falls
      Lower Falls
    by fred98115
 

Pro

thecatsmeow profile photo

 Beautiful area with hiking trails and good photo oportunities 


Con

mcblacktiger profile photo

 A three hour diversion at best. 


In a nutshell

TexasLinda profile photo

 Would love to go back again! 

 

Explore Multnomah Falls

Things to Do  

Photograph beautiful waterfalls

Photograph beautiful waterfalls, Multnomah Falls

 fred98115 Says:  Striking thing about Multnomah Waterfalls is the ease of access to the falls and the variety of viewpoints. Pull out the wide-angle and capture all the falls from the viewpoint at the foot of the falls. Walk a paved trail to Benson Bridge and focus in on the Upper Falls. The... 

Hike the trails

Hike the trails, Multnomah Falls

 thecatsmeow Says:  Follow the Larch Mountain trail 1/4 mile to the historic Benson arch bridge. From there, the top of the falls is just one mile further (this is fairly steep, though!). You may want to continue on the Larch Mountain trail to the top (six miles), where a spectacular view of... 

Benson Bridge

Benson Bridge, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  The Benson Bridge is beautiful. One could wish to see the falls without the bridge intersecting them, however the grace of the design seems instead to create a focal point and adds interest and beauty without detracting from the falls themselves.The bridge is named for Simon... 

Multonomah Falls

Multonomah Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  The falls are actually two-tiered. They are often listed as 620 ft high. This measurement however is a combination of both tiers plus the 9 ft drop in elevation between the tiers. The upper tier falls 542 ft into a large pool, the lower tier falls 69 ft into a small rivulet... 

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls, Multnomah Falls

 GuthrieColin Says:  Bridal Veil Falls is yet another waterfall that i underestimated. In photo's this waterfall looks interesting but not spectacular. I was wrong this is actually one of the most beautiful in the area and that is saying a lot. Bridal Veil Falls is about 130 feet (39 m) and... 

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls, Multnomah Falls

 cleomedes Says:  Multnomah Falls is the second highest (620 feet, 189 m) year-round waterfall in the United States. A foot trail leads to Benson Footbridge, a 45-foot (14 m)-long footbridge that allows visitors to cross 105 feet (32 m) above the lower cascade.There is a nice native american... 

Restaurants  

Multnomah Falls Lodge: I expect better :(

Multnomah Falls Lodge: I expect better :(, Multnomah Falls

 KathrynTheGreat1 Says:  This is a beautiful upscale restaurant with a great view of the fall and surrounding area. It's very warm and comfortable. This is the second time I've dined at the lodge in the past 12 months. The first time was last May or June 2012. I arrived right when they had switched... 

multanomah fall resturant: the food

multanomah fall resturant: the food, Multnomah Falls

 tombstone1 Says:  the resturant and inside and out is very charming an appealing when we went inside i thought i might have underdressed abit but it didnt matter. it seems ppl of all differnt dress codes were in there and it didnt matter. the staff there is fantasticly pleasent, and... 

Multonomah Falls Lodge: Such a warm atmosphere

Multonomah Falls Lodge: Such a warm atmosphere, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  We weren't planning on eating here, but just happened to be here in the early afternoon when we were hungry and thinking about food. The lodge is a wonderful old forest style that seems to blend right into the cliffside. The grounds are full of flowers and ferns. There is a... 

Multnomah Falls Restaurant and Lounge: Multnomah Falls Lodge

Multnomah Falls Restaurant and Lounge: Multnomah Falls Lodge, Multnomah Falls

 GuthrieColin Says:  The Multnomah Falls Lodge Restaurant is a fairly pricey place to eat. The atmosphere inside is quaint and i must say a little bit snobby feeling. I ate here after a very long day of hiking and i felt at first that the servers didn't want to wast their time with me since i... 

Local Customs  

Multnomah Legend
GuthrieColin profile photo

2.5 out of 5 starsHelpfulness

GuthrieColin 590 reviews

Many years ago, a terrible sickness came over the village of the Multnomah people and many died. An old medicine man of the tribe told the chief that a pure and innocent maiden must go to a high cliff above the Big River and threw herself on the rocks below and the sickness would leave at once. The Chief did not want to ask any maiden to make the sacrifice. But when his daughter saw the sickness on the face of her lover, she went to the high cliff and threw herself on the rocks below. The sickness went away. As a token of the maiden’s welcome, the Great Spirit took water, silvery white, and streamed it over the cliff, breaking it into a floating mist.

Updated Mar 30, 2007

Related to:
 Arts and Culture
 National/State Park
 Adventure Travel

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Warnings and Dangers  

Plants That Bite

Plants That Bite, Multnomah Falls

 GuthrieColin Says:  If you are not accustomed to hiking in the Northwest Climate zone you may not be familiar with a few nasty plants we have here. On several hikes in this area I saw stinging nettles and devils club lining the trails. These plants certainly will not kill you but they are not... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Sam Hill's Monument

Sam Hill's Monument, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  If you want to get Vista House in your picture then you need to go just a little bit further west along the Crown Point highway to the Portland Women's Forum state scenic viewpoint. There, besides the gorgeous view, you will find a monument to Sam Hill. He was one of the... 

Vista House

Vista House, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  Built on Crown Point as the culmination of the Columbia River Gorge Highway and a place from which to enjoy the "vista" of the Columbia river gorge it fulfills its purpose beautifully. We reached it near sunset and the crowds were beginning to gather in anticipation. The... 

Elowah Falls

Elowah Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  Nearly 7 miles east of Multonomah Falls the hike to Elowah falls was the perfect introduction to the Columbia River Gorge ecosystem. Due to their distance from Portland and with all the other waterfalls to visit when you are coming from that direction they do not get the... 

Horsetail Falls

Horsetail Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  Easily seen after a walk across the parking lot on the Historic Columbia Highway. These are wonderfully gentle falls. They fall 176 ft and look just like a horses tail. They are about 2.5 miles east of Multonomah Falls on the Historic Columbia Highway. They were a 15 minute... 

PonyTail Falls

PonyTail Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  These wonderful falls are found on an short and not too steep trail starting at Horsetail Falls. The trail from Horsetail to Ponytail was a little under 1/2 mile. It can easily be extended (and it looked like most people did) to visit the Oneonta gorge area and falls which... 

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  About 6.5 miles west of Multonomah Falls the highway passes the last waterfall easily reached by road. If you are coming from Portland it would be the first. This stunning waterfall freefalls nearly 249 feet in a thin wisp of water. Easily overshadowed by the more popular... 

Shepperd's Dell Falls

Shepperd's Dell Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  A beautifully delicate waterfall with two tiers each about 50 ft. This water fall may be too easy to get to as it is readily visible from the car. There is a small pull off and a short trail. I liked this waterfall very much though our visit to it was short. It is one I... 

Wahkeena Falls

Wahkeena Falls, Multnomah Falls

 Segolily Says:  These falls are hidden behind so much greenery it is hard to really see them from the road. They are 242 ft tall tiered and cascading down the hillside. You can take a short walk to a bridge crossing the stream. They are easily reached just from the Historic Columbia Highway... 

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Map of Multnomah Falls