Multnomah Falls

Drop everything

Is it plungeworthy?

542feet tall

A major 3-tier plunge on Multnomah Creek.

Scale60/60

Documentation15/20

Character20/20

The details

Tiers: 3 drops
Type: Tiered Plunge
Watercourse: Multnomah Creek
Coordinates: 45.57581, -122.11501

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About Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is a 542-foot tiered plunge in Oregon, on Multnomah Creek. The water falls in 3 distinct tiers.

Fed largely by snowmelt, it runs hardest in late spring and early summer and can thin to a trickle by late season.

Plungeworthy rates Multnomah Falls 9.5/10 — drop everything. The score weighs its scale, how confidently it's mapped, and its character.

What you'll find

Multnomah Falls drops in two tiers on Multnomah Creek — a 542-foot upper plunge to the historic Benson Bridge, then a 69-foot lower tier to the pool, about 620 feet in all. Because part of its water rises from underground springs off Larch Mountain, it keeps real volume even in late summer, when most Gorge falls thin to a stain.

The viewing plaza and the 1925 stone lodge sit at the base; Benson Bridge crosses directly beneath the upper drop, close enough to catch spray.

Getting there

Trailhead: Multnomah Falls Lodge — I-84 Exit 31, or the Historic Columbia River Highway (US-30)
Parking: Large free lot at I-84 Exit 31 (closes when full); small paid lot on the Historic Highway near the lodge. No roadside parking anywhere.
Road: Paved all the way
Hike: 2.4 mi round trip, 600 ft of climb (moderate)
Heads up: The paved walk to Benson Bridge is a quarter mile and easy. Continuing to the clifftop viewpoint on Larch Mountain Trail #441 is steep and uneven — 2.4 miles round trip. Restrooms are closed for renovation through November 2026; portable toilets on site.

When to go

Good year-round. Flow peaks with winter and spring rain and holds through summer thanks to the spring-fed component. In freezing snaps the trail and bridge can glaze with ice — and the falls partly freeze into something worth the cold drive.

Crowds are the real variable: this is Oregon's most-visited natural attraction. From May 22 through September 7, 2026, the Exit 31 lot requires a timed-use permit for 9am–6pm entry. Weekday mornings outside that window are the quiet play.

Rules & fees

Fee / pass: Free to visit. Summer timed-use parking permit (May 22 – Sep 7, 2026, 9am–6pm) for the I-84 lot: $2 on recreation.gov, or free limited walk-up supply at the Troutdale visitor center and Cascade Locks museum.
Dogs: Leashed dogs allowed on the plaza and paved lower trail
Hours: Day use; visitor center staffed 10am–2pm
Camping: Ainsworth State Park Campground, ~4 miles east
Warnings: The Historic Highway viaduct east of the falls and Oneonta Gorge have had storm- and fire-related closures through 2026 — check current Gorge alerts before building a multi-stop day.

Researched from USFS — Multnomah Falls Recreation Site · ODOT — Waterfall Corridor Permits. Conditions change — verify before you drive. Been to Multnomah Falls recently? Post a conditions report below.

Where it is

Before you go

The pin marks the feature, not a trailhead or a legal route in. Some sit on private land or need a real hike, and conditions change with season and rain. Check local access, don't trespass, and never enter water — hot or cold — where it isn't safe.