If you want waterfalls, this is the place.
The Waterfall Corridor of the Columbia River Gorge, an 8.5-mile stretch along the Historic Columbia River Highway that’s home to more than a dozen waterfalls, is one of the most popular destinations in the region for good reason. Aside from the beautiful plunges, the corridor boasts sweeping views and forested trails that visitors could explore for days.
The corridor includes Multnomah Falls, one of the best and biggest natural attractions in Oregon, as well as the gems of Triple Falls, Horsetail Falls and Latourell Falls. Approaching from the west, as those from Portland often do, takes you past the Vista House and the Portland Women’s Forum viewpoint, home to two of the best views in the Columbia Gorge.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
While the waterfalls can be seen year-round (and are probably at their peak in spring, fed by snowmelt and rain), the big crowds typically show up around Memorial Day, when the clouds typically part and the temperature often rises high enough for visitors to shed their extra layers. Summer is time for major traffic jams in the Waterfall Corridor, as parking lots fill up and cars spill out onto the historic highway.
Summer is also when the U.S. Forest Service begins its timed entry permit system at Multnomah Falls (in effect May 24 to Sept. 2 in 2024), which requires all vehicles parking in the Interstate 84 lot to purchase a $2 permit in advance — an effort to curb the crowds.
If you’re hoping to avoid traffic jams, summer weekends are not the time to visit. Instead, try weekdays or anytime in the off-season.
In recent years, public officials and private companies have joined forces to offer alternative ways to see the Waterfall Corridor. Today, visitors can take a private tour or use public transportation to get to the area.
Whenever or however you get there, the Waterfall Corridor lives up to the hype. There are few places like this in the Pacific Northwest, where you can see so many spectacular sights in such a short distance. Any one of these waterfalls would be the main attraction on its own; here, they all add up to one spectacular natural getaway.
LATOURELL FALLS
You’ll find a couple of great views of the 224-foot Latourell Falls just a short walk from the trailhead parking lot, but hikers can also tackle the moderate 2.4-mile Latourell Falls loop hike, which leads to the shorter Upper Latourell Falls before looping back around to the Historic Columbia River Highway.
SHEPPERDS DELL FALLS
The second major waterfall in the Waterfall Corridor, Shepperds Dell Falls cascades down eight drops totaling 220 feet below the Historic Columbia River Highway. Park at a pullout on either side of the highway just across the Young Creek bridge, then begin down a set of stairs for an overhead look at the waterfall. At the bottom of the steps, a short pathway curls around to the upper tier of the falls.
BRIDAL VEIL FALLS
The only waterfall in the corridor found below the Historic Columbia River Highway, Bridal Veil Falls is a beautiful 118-foot plunge found at the end of a short, moderately easy hike. A trail leads about a third of a mile to a waterfall viewpoint, with an optional side trail and loop that add up to a 1.4-mile hike.
WAHKEENA FALLS
While overshadowed by neighboring Multnomah Falls, the powerful Wahkeena Falls is definitely worth a visit. Measuring 258 feet over two drops, the waterfall is found about a half mile up a moderately easy paved trail, with a viewpoint in the face of the spray. You can keep hiking another three-tenths of a mile to reach the pretty little Fairy Falls, or complete the five-mile loop hike to Multnomah Falls and back.
MULTNOMAH FALLS
The crown jewel of the Waterfall Corridor, Multnomah Falls is also the tallest waterfall in Oregon at 632 feet tall. Most visitors who want to see the towering attraction will want to leave the Historic Columbia River Highway for Interstate 84 to access the main parking lot (where $2 parking permits are required between May 24 and Sept. 2). A private parking lot on the historic highway has room for about 40 cars, but parking there could cost you upwards of $20. Sasquatch Shuttle, which owns that parking lot, also runs a shuttle service to Multnomah Falls from a larger parking lot in Bridal Veil.
Those up for a hike can continue uphill from the main Multnomah Falls viewpoint and across Benson Bridge to the Larch Mountain Trail, which heads uphill to several more waterfalls, including little Dutchman Falls, beautiful Wiesendanger Falls and Ecola Falls, which is only safely seen from above. You can also keep going to complete the five-mile loop hike to Wahkeena Falls and back.
TRIPLE FALLS
A beautiful branching waterfall, Triple Falls pours off the rocky cliffs of the Columbia Gorge in an area that was badly burned by the Eagle Creek fire in 2017. The stark scenery that remains can be haunting, but the waterfall itself is a stunner, falling 64 feet in three distinct channels. You can get there on a moderately difficult 3.6-mile hike from the Oneonta Trailhead. On the way, you can branch off onto the Horsetail Falls Trail for a quick bridge-side view of the 24-foot Middle Oneonta Falls.
HORSETAIL FALLS
The final attraction in the Waterfall Corridor is Horsetail Falls, a lovely 216-foot plunge that’s visible from the side of the Historic Columbia River Highway. Pull off at the Horsetail Falls Trailhead, where you can get an easy look at the waterfall or hike up to the 82-foot Ponytail Falls (also known as Upper Horsetail Falls), which is found less than half a mile away.
MORE WATERFALLS
There are several other waterfalls in the Waterfall Corridor that, for various reasons, are not easily accessed or seen. Chief among them is Oneonta Falls, once a popular destination that required wading along Oneonta Gorge but which has been closed since 2017. Impressive plunges such as Mist Falls and Dalton Falls do not have easy access points, while Coopey Falls is on land owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, though it can also be seen from above on the Angels Rest Trail.
It’s also worth noting that many more waterfalls are found throughout the Columbia River Gorge, including in a nearby stretch that includes Elowah Falls, Wahclella Falls, the many incredible plunges along the Eagle Creek Trail and Dry Creek Falls near Cascade Locks. There are also several waterfall viewpoints around Starvation Creek on the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail, and even more plunges on the Washington side of the river.
©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit oregonlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
