Columbia River Gorge just outside Portland, Oregon is said to have one of the highest concentration of waterfalls in North America. Rising early on a misty Sunday morning, we took the short drive from Portland to see how many we could find.
Tip: As soon as you can you should exit the main highway and take the historic Columbia River Gorge highway. This takes you on a twisting route through sleepy towns until you are greeted by the breathtaking view of the Gorge. I dare you not to stop for pictures, and both the Portland Women’s Forum viewpoint or Crown Point State Scenic Corridor are great places to stop.
And then you start hitting the falls. Latourell Falls. Shepperd’s Dell Falls. Bridal Veil Falls. Wahkeena Falls. You get the point. But it was Multnomah Falls where we decided to stop for a while. Yes it is touristy, but with good reason. They appear like something from a Tolkien novel. These falls thunder and you’re sure to get wet from the spray (make sure to bring cleaning clothes if you’ve got a camera). We decided to do the mile-long hike to the top. Whilst you’re not going to enter some magical Narnia world (falls tend to be more impressive at the bottom than the top) it is a great way to stretch the legs.
Once done with Multnomah, we decided to take in a couple more waterfalls (Horsetail Falls and then back to Wahkeena) before waterfall fatigue set in. If we were going back this area would make a great weekend destination and could be included with a trip to Mt. Hood.
h a m b a j a l a n 