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Click the image to view the clickable map of Oregon waterfall hikes.Ī lot of the best adventures around Oregon will require a Northwest Pass. Do be sure to click our other articles linked in this post as some of these areas have even more waterfalls and other cool adventures in their proximity. We’ve also separated our list into five sections of Oregon for efficiency. We also made a handy map here for you to use to best see where all of these hikes are. So which are our favorite waterfall hikes in Oregon? We have over 28 to share with you… The Best Waterfall Hikes in Oregonīelow you’ll find tons of our favorite waterfall hikes in Oregon with all of the necessary hiking info to help you explore better.

Chasing waterfalls is kind of a hobby of mine, and there couldn’t be a better state to indulge in this minor obsession. There are so many waterfall hikes in Oregon, and if I’m honest, it’s one of my favorite hiking rewards. There are hundreds and hundreds of trails littering the state, all with their own unique rewards of epic landscapes, towering mountains, rugged coastlines, and yes, waterfalls too! This is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest.If there’s one thing Oregon has a lot of, it’s hiking trails.Timed Use Permits are required from May 26 to September 4.It’s about a 30-minute drive from Portland, Oregon The main parking lot is directly off I-84 (Exit 31 on your left).Parking is free, but it’s limited-consider taking a shuttle.As I rested my weary feet, a wood-burning fire transported me to the past, and I wondered if the Pacific Northwest might be in Middle-earth after all.Īlison Karlene Hodgins Know Before You Go: It’s a lovely, calming space, built with every type of stone found in the Columbia River Gorge and updated with elevator access to the cozy, warm dining room. This historic building was built in 1925. It was beautiful and terrifying.Īfter a knee-twinging descent, we warmed up in the Multnomah Falls Lodge Restaurant with a view of the narrow cascade.

It took us around 40 minutes to reach the top, where we leaned over the vertigo-inducing viewing platform to watch the water tumble down the cliff. After climbing up and down 11 switchbacks, my legs were burning, but the views were astounding-not just of the waterfall, but across the freeway to the Columbia River Gorge. Red-flowering currant wildflowers laced the trail, which was wet, muddy and eroded in sections. Hiking along the asphalt path to the top of the falls, we climbed for about two kilometres, gaining around 240 metres of elevation. Past the bridge, we reached another viewing platform where the waterfalls’ mist soaked us in a refreshing glaze. We followed a few stairs and an inclined trail to the footbridge, which was constructed in 1914. There is a bench for those who want to linger and watch the frothing water drop. We were lucky to have the viewpoint to ourselves for a few moments. Moss-covered rocks and earthy green trees framed the cascade and silver-tinted Benson Bridge. The waterfall thundered from above, pouring buckets from an endless spout. We followed the pedestrian walkway under the freeway and continued along a paved path to the viewing platform. We arrived at a mostly empty parking lot with a partial view of the falls around 8:20 a.m. on a Friday, hoping to get ready, leave early and avoid the crowds. We woke up in Portland to overcast skies at 6:30 a.m. According to a local legend, the waterfall was formed after a chief’s daughter threw herself from the top of the cliff to save her people. The water cascades 620 feet (189 metres) in a stunning line, folding over the edges of a cliff and tumbling beneath Benson Bridge. Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state and the second highest in the US. With an elegant bridge crossing a mystical waterfall, Multnomah Falls looks like something out of the pages of Narnia or the elven architecture of Rivendell. Multnomah Falls is located 48 kilometres east of Portland, Oregon-but it looks straight out of The Lord of the Rings.