Multnomah Falls, near Portland, Oregon

Multnomah Falls

Following our unplanned rapid descent through the forest below Crown Point on the Historic Columbia River Highway, we came out not far from the Multnomah Falls.

As with much of the Historic Highway, the major sites are not visible from the road, and more importantly the road is not visible from the area of natural beauty.

View from the Benson Bridge towards the Historic Columbia River Highway

In this case it’s just a short 5-minute walk round the Multnomah Lodge to the base of the falls.

The falls are in two parts. The upper cascade drops 165m, then runs to the lower cascade which is another 21m.

The source of the falls is underground springs and snow melt run off from the Larch Mountain. The springs ensure that the water falls throughout the year.

There’s some confusion about how it ranks with other waterfalls in the US, but the USDA Forest Service lists the 165m as the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. Other sources list is as the fourth tallest. The World Waterfall Database lists it as the 137^th tallest waterfall in the US, but includes seasonal falls.

Something I’m noticing throughout the US is that comparisons with the rest of the world are completely ignored unless the US version is better in some way. To compare, Angel Falls in Venezuela is 979m, with an uninterrupted plunge of 807m.

A short but slightly steep trail leads up to the Benson Footbridge that crosses 32m above the lower cascade. This was added in 1914, financed by Portland businessman Simon Benson, who owned the falls in the early 1900s. Before he died, Benson gave Multnomah Falls to the City of Portland, which later passed ownership to the USDA Forest Service.

The bridge crosses to another trail, where it’s possible to climb up to the top of the falls and get a view of the Columbia Gorge. The day we were there was sub-zero, so the bridge and the paths either side were covered in thick ice from the frozen mist. As I walked up towards the bridge, people were slipping all over the place. Whilst silently mocking them I joined their numbers and ended up sat inelegantly on the bridge. Instant karma.

In 1995, a 400-tonne boulder fell into the upper cascade pool, and can clearly be seen from Benson Bridge.

Hopefully related posts:

Portland’s Historic Columbia River Highway – Oregon Mt Hood over Portland, viewed from Pittock Mansion In bed by eight – Newport and Bandon in Oregon Spectacular stops along the Oregon Coast Highway