Oregon: Multnomah Falls

Our next stop along the scenic highway at the Columbia River Gorge was Multnomah Falls. The water drops 620 feet. The falls are fed by springs on Larch Mountain with melting snow increasing the flow in early spring. The bridge was built in 1914. Multnomah is believed to be a Chinook Indian word meaning "downriver."

Even though I've lived in the Pacific Northwest all my life, I'd never seen Multnomah Falls. We arrived shortly after lunch and the parking lot was full with cars lining the side of the road. We were fortunate to see a car pulling out a bit up the road. We hiked up to the bridge to get a closer look at the upper part of the falls. It was certainly worth the time and effort to get a close up look.