Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

I was in the gift shop at Multnomah Falls picking up a wildflower brochure when I overheard a man ask one of the US Forest Service guides, “How far is it to the falls?” She tried very hard not to snicker and said, “It’s not far at all.” He wanted clarification and asked, “Is it less than a mile?” She replies, “Yes sir, it’s really right over there. I mean it’s only about 200 feet”. I wondered how that guy had missed the roaring 620-foot wall of water next to the gift shop. They both laughed when he said that he parked on the other side of the gift shop.

Maybe it is Multnomah's easy accessibility that makes it the most visited tourist destination in Oregon. The falls are only 30 miles east of Portland, with views of mountains, the Columbia River, and many other waterfalls along the way. The falls are so close to the road and so tall that at first sight they are somewhat startling. Multnomah Falls is the second tallest continually flowing water fall in the US, behind Yosemite Falls. Of course, many websites and brochures point out that sometimes Yosemite Falls does not flow in autumn, a tacit suggesting that Yosemite Falls doesn’t really count. Regardless, Multnomah Falls is super tall, and that is good enough for me.

I am a plant nerd and nothing is more fun for me than finding a spot where the ecosystem has unique conditions supporting all kinds of unusual plants. Multnomah Falls is no exception and kept me enthralled for a couple of hours. Imagine huge cliff faces covered in bright neon yellow glowing lichens, fed continually by a cool mists from the falls, with bright sunshine peeking out from the surrounding mountains. I mean it was lichen heaven there. There were many woodland wildflowers, like wild pink geraniums, growing under a canopy of huge Douglas Firs. I’ve never seen so many different types of ferns in one place, giant and regal ferns with upright fronds waving at the sun, and tiny, dainty ferns holding on to the cracks in the rocks.

The falls are easy to see and enjoy from the gift shop area, though you can also take a short walk uphill to a bridge connecting the gap between the upper and lower falls. The walk to the bridge is pretty relaxing, but the trail is bumpy and steep. The view from the bridge is overwhelmingly beautiful. You can also take a longer hike up the side of the mountain to the top of the falls. You can view the trail map here: Multnomah Falls Map.

Later that day we drove further east to Hood River, OR. It’s a cool little river town with some lovely shops and good places to eat. It’s a wind surfing and kite-boarding destination, and it was fun to watch the colorful sails bounce around above the water. Because the Columbia River gorge is windy, the waves on the wide river attract enthusiasts of those sports.

We also drove south up the side of a mountain to an area where there are many, many orchards. We went to Rasmussen Farms where they have fruit available and pick your own events almost continually from June- November. They also had some nice greenhouses with vegetable and annual plants. Cherry, pear and apple trees are all planted in tidy rows in an area that looks remarkably different from the areas near the river. It seems drier, and I had the sense that I was up very high the whole time we were there. It seemed unreal with golden rolling hills all around us and the snowy peak of Mount Hood visible in the distance. Unfortunately we arrived a day too early for strawberry picking but I was happy to buy some jam and fruit leather.

On my day trip to Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge, I barely scratched the surface of fun stuff to do in this region. At the restaurant where we ate lunch, there was a guidebook that I kept flipping through, just full of interesting things to see and do. I hope my travels take me back there soon. Here are some other good web sites for info about Multnomah Falls, Hood River and Rasmussen Farms: Rasmussen Farms
Multnomah Falls Oregon
Friedns of Multnomah Falls
Hood River
Hood River Org

Multnomah Falls and the Columbia River Gorge are worth the trip!

by Garden Maven Colleen

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