Multnomah Falls is a waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River
Gorge, located east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, along the
Historic Columbia River Highway. The falls drops in two major steps,
split into an upper falls of 542 feet (165 m) and a lower falls of 69
feet (21 m), with a gradual 9 foot (3 m) drop in elevation between the
two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620
feet (189 m). Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the State of
Oregon. It is credited by a sign at the site of the falls, and by the
United States Forest Service, as the second tallest year-round waterfall
in the United States. However, there is some skepticism surrounding
this distinction, as Multnomah Falls is listed as the 137th tallest
waterfall in the United States by the World Waterfall Database (this
site does not distinguish between seasonal and year-round waterfalls).
Underground springs from Larch Mountain are the year-round source of
water for the waterfall, augmented by spring runoff from the mountain's
snowpack and rainwater during the other seasons.
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A foot trail leads to Benson Footbridge, a 45-foot (14 m)-long
footbridge that allows visitors to cross 105 feet (32 m) above the lower
cascade. The trail continues to a platform at the top of the upper
falls where visitors get a bird's-eye view of the Columbia Gorge and
also of "Little Multnomah", a small cascade slightly upstream from the
"upper" falls, which is not visible from ground level. The Mark O.
Hatfield Memorial Trail starts at the falls and continues through the
Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge to Starvation Creek. The
footbridge is named for Simon Benson, who financed the bridge's
construction in 1914 by Italian stonemasons.
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Benson soon gave Portland land that included most of the falls as well
as nearby Wahkeena Falls. The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation
Company gave Portland land at the base of Multnomah Falls contingent
upon their agreement to build a lodge at the site. A few years later
architect A.E. Doyle, who designed the Meier & Frank Building, was
commissioned by the city to design the lodge, which was completed in
1925. The lodge is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
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In contrast to other falls along the Gorge, the Multnomah area is also
reachable via a stretch of I-84 east of Troutdale, Oregon. The rest area
and tunnel under the road (as well as the Union Pacific Railroad
tracks) allow Interstate travelers from either direction to stop and
visit the falls.
On Labor Day in September 1995, a 400-ton boulder, loosened by erosion,
fell 225 feet (69 m) from the face of the waterfall into the upper
cascade pool, above Benson Bridge. It caused a 70-foot (21 m) splash of
water and gravel to wash over the footbridge, causing minor injuries to
twenty members of a wedding party that happened to be on it for photos
at the time. Wiki
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Frozen Multnomah Fall
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