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Multnomah Falls

Photo: Ross kramerov / CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

🌊 Lakes & rivers

Multnomah Falls

Corbett, OR · Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

About

Oregon's tallest waterfall drops 620 feet in two tiers, and the whole thing sits five minutes off Interstate 84, which is exactly why it draws two million people a year. The upper falls plunges 542 feet down a mossy basalt cliff into a pool, then slips another 69 feet under the Benson Bridge, a 1914 stone arch built by Italian masons that hangs 105 feet above the lower drop. Spring snowmelt makes it thunder, but Multnomah runs year round on cold groundwater springs, so even a dry August afternoon gives you a real curtain of water. The paved switchback trail climbs a mile to the top overlook if you want the view from above. Know before you go: from May 22 to September 7, 2026, the I-84 lot needs a $2 timed-entry permit booked on Recreation.gov, released fourteen days ahead. Come before Memorial Day or after Labor Day to dodge the crowds.

Highlights

620 ft two-tier dropTallest waterfall in Oregon1914 Benson Bridge, 105 ft upYear-round spring-fed flow$2 timed permit May 22 to Sep 7, 20265 min off I-84, Exit 31

Getting there

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Curated guides that feature Multnomah Falls.

Best Waterfalls in the US15 places

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