Multnomah Falls is without a doubt the finest waterfall that I have had the privilege to see. As many times as I have heard this…no photos come close to doing it justice. At roughly 625 ft, making 2 signature drops with a bridged road going through the middle, it is an iconic waterfall from the Pacific Northwest that is famous coast to coast in the US, and worldwide.
In late 2019, nearly at Autumn’s peak, my job presented a wonderful opportunity for training in Issaquah, Washington, on the eastern side of Seattle. Having never visiting the Pacific Northwest, I was super excited. It was only for several days of training, but my wife and I added a few extra days to explore. There is just so much to see and do here, I needed a month or two….lol. My head was spinning after my four days were up there, seeing as much as we could see in the small amount of time.
Multnomah Falls immediately came to mind when planning this trip. Oregon was a “stretch” of the time and resources that we had available. However, this is a “Bucket-list” place of mine, and the opportunity to see it may never present itself better than this. Where there is a will, there is usually a way… but not always.
As we began planning this , while flying out over the weekend, Multnomah Falls was destination number one. It was roughly planned for Monday morning first thing. Being able to see it in the first place, and with as few people as possible were the main concerns being taken into consideration. It was already late October and the autumn color promised to be amazing. However, this just happens to be the most visited destination in all the Pacific Northwest with over 2 million visitors annually. Parking is located in the actual median of I-84 in a widened section and is limited. The spaces fill up quick, and many intended visitors are not able to visit. As of this writing, I am seeing that reservations may even be required to park and see this wonderful attraction.
So, being a state away, this required some extra driving and time, as we had to drive to Portland from Seattle. Multnomah falls is about 30 minutes east of Portland, or nearly 3 hours from Seattle, on Multnomah Creek, just before it joins the Columbia River. This long drive, brings some of the finest iconic mountains in the Pacific Northwest into play. We would be driving by or near Mount Rainier, Mount St Helens and Mount Hood. After actually visiting Mount Rainier, we only took in the other 2 mountains from a distance. There just wasn’t enough time. We decided to stay in Portland for a night, placing us close for the early morning visit to Multnomah Falls, even though we already had the rooms booked in Seattle. As I mentioned, where there is a will, there is a way.
First thing on Monday morning, we arrived at Multnomah Falls at about 7:30 am. It was an icy cold morning and a good number of people were already there. Then, the rest can be described in photos….
Mount Rainier
