1.9 hr
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.
Trail Stats
3.9 km
265 m
273 m
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Photos
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