A Day Trip to the Columbia River Gorge and “Waterfall Alley”.

Visiting the Pacific Northwest? Add this to your must-see list of places to explore!

If you’ve ever been to Oregon, than you know it is a haven for waterfall lovers. With over 200 waterfalls in the state, there are plenty to choose from, but no place is more stunning than the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. Starting on the Historical Columbia River Highway, I’ll take you on a guided tour of what locals refer to as “Waterfall Alley”. With several jaw dropping waterfalls in close proximity to one another, you could spend several days to take in all the views. Let’s get started on our adventure!

First Stop: Latourell Falls

At a whopping 249 ft fall, Latourell is an excellent first stop on your waterfall road trip. You can park right by it, and it is a short distance on a paved trail to the base of the falls. To complete the whole loop to the upper falls, it is an easy to moderate 2 miles roundtrip, with 639 ft of elevation gain. Take in the sights of the basalt columns and yellow lichen, which are the trademark features of this waterfall.

Second Stop: Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil falls is a short and sweet 0.5 miles roundtrip from the parking lot. At 78 ft elevation gain, it is a low effort/high reward hike in the area.

Third Stop: Wahkeena Falls

Wahkeena Falls is another short walk from the parking lot to view the lower falls. One cool thing about this particular waterfall is that it can be combined in a large, 5.1 mile loop with Multnomah Falls, in the Wahkeena- Multnomah loop. This particular loop can be difficult, but can be done as a day hike if you want to see a bunch of different waterfalls, without the crowds that come along with the regular Gorge traffic. Featured waterfalls along the trip include Fairy Falls, Ecola Falls and Weisendanger Falls. You will end your trip looking down from the top of Multnomah Falls at the viewing platform and make your way down to the base of the waterfall. The overall loop is 1,640 ft of elevation gain. If you want to just visit Wahkeena Falls alone, it is about 1 mile round trip.

Fourth Stop: Multnomah Falls

The next stop on our trip needs no introduction and is considered one of the quintessential landmarks of Oregon. Multnomah Falls stands at a jaw dropping 627 ft and it’s reputation proceeds itself, as it is one of the most visited places in the country. Multnomah Falls has it’s own parking area off of highway 84, but there is an additional small parking area on the Historical Highway as well. At the base of the falls is the Historical Multnomah Falls Lodge, which was built in 1915. There is a snack shop, gift store and excellent restaurant inside with a view of the falls while you eat. You can view the falls from the base, hike up to the viewing platform at the top of 11 steep switchbacks, or complete the full 5.1 mile loop to Wahkeena Falls. There are tons of options here for exploring, but expect there to be a lot of people, as this place is almost always very busy.

• Pro Tip: The further up the trail you go, there are much less crowds (and better views in my opinion).

Fifth Stop: Horsetail and Ponytail Falls

Horsetail Fall’s parking area is right in front of the waterfall, so technically you don’t even need to get out of your car to see it, but the area definitely warrants a closer look due to the second and more impressive waterfall upstream. Have you ever wanted to hike into a cave behind a waterfall, because this trail is your chance to do just that! The overall trail from Horsetail to Ponytail Falls is only 0.9 miles roundtrip, and 331 ft elevation gain.

• Pro Tip: along your journey down the road from Multnomah Falls to Horsetail Falls is a cool tunnel on the side of the road that you can park next to and walk through. This is part of the hike and bike trail that runs through the Gorge, and a unique photo opportunity.

Honorable Mentions: Other Epic Trails to Add to your Gorge Trip

• Wahclella Falls: 1.9 miles roundtrip, 223 ft elevation gain.
• Eagle Creek Trail to Tunnel Falls: 11.9 miles roundtrip, 2,070 ft elevation gain.
• Angel’s Rest Trail: 4.5 miles roundtrip, 1,476 ft elevation gain.
• Elowah and Upper McCord Creek Falls: 2.4 miles roundtrip, 862 ft of elevation gain.

Last Stop (optional): the Sugarpine Drive-in (Troutdale)

No Gorge trip is complete without a final stop at the Sugarpine Drive-in for lunch and an ice cream sundae. This is one of the best kept secrets in the area, and a local favorite! From pulled pork sandwiches to their waffle-iron grilled cheese, it is a perfect after hike snack. They are especially known for their unique ice cream sundaes and have tons of vegan/vegetarian items on their menu as well. Trust me, you won’t regret it, and hopefully it’ll become a staple for you too!

Important Information to Know Before your Trip!

• From May 24th to September 5th, you now need a timed permit to enter the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls area (a separate permit is needed for each). You can obtain those permits on recreation.gov here. Make sure you get your permits ahead of time, because you don’t want to get turned away when you try to enter the Historic Highway. If you arrive before 9:00 a.m., then you don’t need a permit! Permits cost 2$ and must be purchased online beforehand.
• The Gorge, while very beautiful, is a hot-spot for car break-ins. Leave nothing valuable in your car, and I typically leave my empty glove box and middle console open to prevent a window smash and grab.
• During the summer months it can get very crowded in the Gorge on the weekends, making parking difficult to find. There are a few shuttles available: Sasquatch Shuttle and the Columbia Gorge Express. If you want to drive your own car, expect to get to your favorite trailhead early to beat the crowds or try to go on a weekday.
• Last, but certainly not least, make sure you have enough gas when driving through the Gorge because the closest gas stations are in Troutdale and Hood River, which are many miles away. I can’t tell you how many times I almost ran out of gas in the Gorge and had to leave to go fill up somewhere fifteen to twenty minutes away.

Happy Wandering!