Oregon's Multnomah Falls drops 620 feet.
Multnomah Falls
Discover five fun facts about Oregon’s most popular natural attraction.
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More than six dozen waterfalls stream along the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, yet none can match the majesty of Multnomah Falls. Philanthropist Simon Benson deeded the 620-foot plunge to the City of Portland in 1915 for use as a public park. Some 2.5 million admirers stop by the falls each year, making it the state's most popular natural attraction.
EARLY POSTCARD
The first descriptions of the falls were written in 1805 by members of Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery.
BENEFACTOR’S BRIDGE
Italian stonemasons erected the Benson Bridge above the falls' lower portion in 1914.
NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY
The pool between the two cascades once served tourists as a swimming hole.
CLIFF-HANGER
In 1990, a cliffside root left BASE jumper Greg Jones stranded partway down the falls for more than six hours.
HEADS UP!
A 400-ton boulder broke off the cliff in 1996 and made an 80-foot splash under the bridge.
Photography by Philip Wright
This article was first published in May 2007. Some facts may have aged gracelessly. Please call ahead to verify information.
If You're Going:
Multnomah Falls is located about 25 miles east of Portland off I-84.
(503) 695-2372, www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/millennium2.
