Mileage: 5.7 miles RT
Elevation Gain: 1540ft
Map: US Forest Service, Green Trails Columbia River Gorge West No 428S
Favorite Eats After Hike: Crush Cider, Walking Man Brewery, Backwoods Brewery, Thunder Island Brewing, Cascade Locks Ale House, Farm Stand Natural Foods, Dick’s Primal Burger, Back To Eden Bakery, or just Pack A Cooler. You can learn more about these places in my Must Hike Must Eat Eating Out Guide.
Find out current conditions and as always, practice Leave No Trace. Pretty please.
My Hike:
1/17/2016
Elizabeth and I go up super early so we could be to the parking lot before the mobs that usually hangout at this popular waterfall hike. The beauty of it is, though, most only come to see the big show and don’t venture much past the iconic Multnomah Falls.
The switchbacks on trail #441 were paved and numbered as we headed up behind and above the waterfall. We, then, meandered along the creek that feeds it and over a stone bridge. I had to snap a few pictures of it’s moss covered stones and the water rushing through. There was snow to be found and it was snow going because my friend had forgotten her spikes. Luckily, she still had her poles.
The waterfalls continued (Weisendanger and Ecola) until we met with the junction for trail #420 and we continued on towards Angel’s Rest and Fairy Falls (#441 continues on to Larch Mountain). We were passed by several hardy folks running the trail and stopped at Lemmon’s Viewpoint for a view of the Columbia River and read about it’s history.
The last bit of hike was a .5 mile walk along I-84 and the Columbia Gorge past Wahkeena Falls and back to the parking lot by the lodge. We saw quite a few tourists on our way out. The blessing to this was that I could snap a few rather colorful pictures of folks in front of the waterfalls on the way.
Directions: From I-84 and Portland, take Exit #31/Multnomah Falls. Park in the parking lot and walk under the footbridge to Multnomah Falls Lodge. We went up the Multnomah Falls Trail to the left of the lodge to go counterclockwise for the loop. You can also go the reverse from the Wahkeena trailhead on the right of the lodge.
Click here for more of my hikes on the Columbia River Gorge.
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