Multnomah Falls Oregon: 1st Time Visitor Guide

Multnomah Falls is a 600+ foot waterfall and one of the most popular in all of Oregon. I’ve visited it numerous times and there are many ways you can explore this area so if you’re planning a first time trip here, this guide is going to show you all of the options and how to get the best possible experiences from this place. 

Quick info:

• Name: Multnomah Falls.
• Location: Columbia River Gorge
• Permit needed to go here? Yes, between late May through early September.
• Family friendly? Yes!
• Rating: 5 out of 5.
• Hotels nearby? Yes (see options)

How to get there:

Multnomah Falls is located 30 minutes east of Portland Oregon and it’s very easy to find as the waterfall is easily seen from the road. There are also 2 parking lots nearby:

 

1. Multnomah Falls parking lot which is off Interstate 84.
2. The second parking lot is closer to it (but less spaces)

Best ways to explore it:

Doing a short walk from the parking lot/s to the base of Multnomah Falls (best for beginners): This is the option that most people go with. Basically once you park your car (option 1 or 2), you’ll walk up to the entrance of the waterfall. There are stone steps to take you to the base of it (lower Multnomah Falls) where you can get amazing photos of it. The walk from the parking lot to the base is about 200 feet (very easy) and there are also beautiful gorges and views around the area. Additionally right by the entrance is a gift shop, bathrooms and a coffee shop I recommend checking out too.

Doing the Multnomah Falls hike to the top of it. It’s 1-2 miles in and out (best for hikers): If you want to go to the top of Multnomah Falls, there is a hike right by the photogenic spot (lower Multnomah Falls) to your right. That is known as the Multnomah Falls hike and it zigzags to the top (you will also pass a beautiful bridge that divides lower and upper falls). Once you get to the top, you can get amazing views of the Columbia River Gorge area but in my opinion if you want the best photos of the waterfall, they are at the bottom. After you’re done, you can go back down to the bottom the same exact way (if you go to the other trail, it will take you to other hikes, but that is not a loop just remember that).

Just seeing it from the road (best for people not looking to stop at Multnomah Falls): If you’re just looking to drive past the area and not stop, you can really do that from Interstate 84 or the Historic Columbia River Gorge scenic highway (these are 2 of the best Oregon scenic drives in my opinion). In any case, you will still get nice views of the waterfall regardless.

Tips: Know about timed permits ($2)!

Because this place gets packed between May to most of September, there is now a timed permit system for when you come here. You can get a permit for Multnomah Falls here. These are in place specifically for the option 2 parking lot (the one that’s not large and close to Multnomah Falls). 

What to do if you come here without a permit (there are alternatives):

1. You can come here before May or after September and just avoid the whole thing.
2. Or you can just park in option B (the large parking lot by the Interstate). 
3. You can also park in the other spots around Columbia River Gorge east/west of the Historic Columbia River Gorge Highway but some of them may also require you get a permit to park there.

Best time to go:

Firstly I am not a fan of coming here in the spring or summer, not just because of the permit system but also because it’s extremely crowded around the whole area, meaning that if not Multnomah Falls, then there will likely be another spot across all of Columbia River Gorge that’s packed. But if you have no choice but to visit then, at least come very early because you will have less crowds then. As for the best times, I’m going to recommend the late winter season, around mid February to mid March. Here’s a photo of the same Multnomah Falls but for 3 different seasons so you can decide when it’s most beautiful:

Things to see nearby:

1. Multnomah Falls lodge: This is specifically a restaurant (see nearby hotels) very close to the waterfall. I’ve personally eaten there before and really enjoyed it. There are 2 sections of the Multnomah Falls Lodge, one is closer to the road and the second is right next to it but with a glass roof so you can see the waterfall in the distance. 
2. Explore Wahkeena Falls (1/2 mile west of Multnomah Falls): This is a cascading waterfall with a parking lot and hike right next to it. This trail also leads to Multnomah Falls as well but be sure to use Alltrails if you plan to do a longer loop hike to see more than one waterfall. 
3. Explore the waterfall hikes right past the top of Multnomah Falls: If you elected to do the Multnomah Falls trail that takes you to the top, there is an additional trail that heads south past it which will take you to more waterfalls.
4. Check out the Oneonta Gorge scenic hike: This one is about 1/2 mile east of Multnomah Falls and it’s about a 3-4 mile loop hike which takes you to several other amazing waterfalls including Horsetail Falls. Learn more about the Oneonta Gorge trail.
5. Eagle Creek trail: This is about 20 minutes east of Multnomah Falls and it’s about a 13+ mile hike in and out which takes you through some of the best waterfall hikes in Oregon (there’s about 10 different waterfalls there). You can see my Eagle Creek trail post for details on how it’s done.
6. Explore more of Columbia River Gorge: I have a whole post on the best things to do in Columbia River Gorge in general that you can check out.
7. Check out user reviews on the best things to do here.

Waterfalls nearby:

1. Horsetail Falls (5 minutes east). It’s about 100 feet high, right by the road.
2. Latourell falls (15 minutes west). It’s a 100+ foot waterfall with an easy walk to it.
3. Bridal Veil Falls (10 minutes west). 50+ foot waterfall near the road.
4. Sheperds Dell Falls (10 minutes west). 50+ foot cascading waterfall near a bridge.
5. Fairy Falls (2 minutes west). Beautiful cascading waterfall past Wahkeena Falls.

Photos:

Related:

There are many more things to do around Columbia River Gorge, but what I want to share is more great things to explore in the greater Oregon area:

1. Eastern Oregon 
2. Smith Rock State Park 
3. Best places to see on the Oregon Coast