Do you need a permit to visit Multnomah Falls?

Only in summer, and only for the I-84 Exit 31 parking lot. In 2026 a timed-use permit was required there from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily between May 22 and September 7, booked on Recreation.gov with a $2 transaction fee. A limited number of free permits were available at the Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center in Troutdale and the Cascade Locks Historical Museum.

How many waterfalls can you see in one day in the Columbia River Gorge?

On the Historic Columbia River Highway between Corbett and Ainsworth you can see Latourell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena, Multnomah and Horsetail Falls in one unhurried day, because most are a short walk from the road. Add one longer hike, such as Wahclella or Elowah Falls, if you start early.

What is the best time of year to see Columbia River Gorge waterfalls?

Late fall through spring. The U.S. Forest Service notes that Multnomah Falls usually runs highest in winter and spring, and the smaller falls along the highway can thin out by late summer. Spring brings the best mix of strong flow, green moss and open roads.

Do you need a parking pass for Columbia River Gorge waterfall hikes?

Some trailheads need one and some do not. The Wahclella Falls and Eagle Creek trailheads require a Northwest Forest Pass or an America the Beautiful pass, while the main Multnomah Falls lot and the John B. Yeon trailhead for Elowah Falls do not. Check the sign at each lot.

Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls: A Historic Highway Road Trip

Q: Is Oneonta Gorge open?

No. The Oneonta Gorge creek walk has stayed closed since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, and the Forest Service closure currently runs into 2027. The Oneonta Trail above the gorge is open, but check the Forest Service alerts before you go.

Plan a Columbia River Gorge waterfalls road trip: Multnomah, Latourell, Horsetail and more, with permit dates, trail lengths, parking passes and seasons.

The Columbia River Gorge east of Portland has more big waterfalls packed into a short stretch of road than almost anywhere in the United States. Drive the Historic Columbia River Highway from Corbett toward Ainsworth and you pass Latourell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena, Multnomah and Horsetail Falls in about a dozen miles, most of them a short walk from where you park. Add one of the deeper canyon hikes farther east and you have one of the best waterfall days in the country.

This is the route I'd plan for a first visit, in the order you meet the falls heading east, with the permits, passes and trail distances you need to know. Prices and rules change, so I've noted where each fact comes from and what to double-check.

How the Route Works

The Gorge has two parallel roads on the Oregon side. Interstate 84 runs along the river and is the fast way in and out. The Historic Columbia River Highway, also signed as US 30, was built in the 1910s and early 1920s as a scenic road, and it climbs along the cliffs past the waterfalls. The waterfall stretch of the old highway is the one you want for sightseeing, with I-84 as your shortcut back to Portland.

A simple plan:

Leave I-84 at Corbett and follow the Historic Highway east.
Stop at the falls in order: Latourell, Bridal Veil, Wahkeena, Multnomah, Horsetail.
Rejoin I-84 near Ainsworth and continue east to the Wahclella Falls or Elowah Falls trailheads if you have energy for a longer hike.
Return west on I-84.

Without long hikes this is an easy half day. With one canyon hike and lunch, plan on a full day.

Waterfalls Along the Historic Highway

Latourell Falls

Latourell Falls is the first big waterfall you reach heading east, and one of the most striking. It drops 249 feet in a single plunge over a cliff of columnar basalt splashed with yellow-green lichen. A short paved path leads from the parking area to a viewpoint, and a longer loop continues up to Upper Latourell Falls and back. On Google, Latourell holds a 4.9 average from about 600 reviews, which tells you how much people enjoy a waterfall you can see within minutes of leaving the car.

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is a two-tiered fall of roughly 100 feet in a small state park just off the highway. It's the one waterfall on this stretch where the viewpoint is below the road, so the short trail goes down to the falls and back up. The same park has a separate, flat loop along the cliff top with views across the river.

Wahkeena Falls

Wahkeena Falls is a tumbling, 242-foot cascade rather than a clean drop, and it sits right beside the highway with a picnic area at its base. A stone footbridge crosses the creek partway up. Wahkeena is also the start of a popular loop that climbs past more falls and connects over to the top of Multnomah Falls, a good option if you want a real hike without leaving the main corridor.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is the headline stop. The U.S. Forest Service describes it as the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, with more than two million visitors a year, and it is the most reviewed waterfall in our entire directory at over 6,000 Google reviews. The falls drop 620 feet in two tiers, fed by underground springs on Larch Mountain, and six separate lava flows of Grande Ronde Basalt are visible in the cliff.

How far you go is up to you:

Lower viewpoint: a short, paved walk from the parking lot. This is the view on most postcards.
Benson Bridge: a steep, paved climb to the arched bridge that crosses between the upper and lower falls.
Top of the falls: 2.4 miles round trip with about 600 feet of elevation gain on steep switchbacks. The Forest Service compares it to climbing 60 flights of stairs, on uneven ground, so bring proper footwear.

Leashed dogs are allowed on the paved trail and the trail to the top. Drones, bikes and scooters are not allowed, and the Forest Service asks visitors not to throw coins into the creek, which has spawning fish. The Forest Service also notes that the main restrooms are closed for renovation through November 2026, with portable toilets on site in the meantime.

Horsetail Falls

Horsetail Falls is a 176-foot fall that fans out like a horse's tail right next to the road, with a small pullout across from it. It's the easiest roadside waterfall on the route. The trail behind it climbs to Ponytail Falls, where the path passes behind the waterfall in a basalt overhang, and continues to Triple Falls for those with more time.

Just west of Horsetail is the mouth of Oneonta Gorge, the narrow slot canyon that was famous for its creek walk. That route has been closed since the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and the Forest Service closure currently runs into 2027. The trails above it are open, but don't plan on wading the gorge.

Permits and Parking at Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls is the only stop on the route with a seasonal permit, and the rules confuse a lot of visitors.

Question	Answer (2026 season)
Which lot needs a permit?	The large I-84 Exit 31 lot between the freeway lanes
When?	9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, May 22 to September 7
Where to book	Recreation.gov, released 14 days and again 2 days before arrival
Cost	$2 online transaction fee; limited free permits in Troutdale and Cascade Locks
Does it guarantee a space?	No. The lot can still fill

Outside those dates and hours, no permit is needed. The small lot on the Historic Highway in front of the lodge is privately operated and charges for parking, and there's no parking on the highway shoulder. Oregon's transportation department runs a TripCheck camera on the Exit 31 lot, which is worth a look before you commit to the drive. The dates for 2027 had not been announced when I wrote this, so check Recreation.gov in the spring.

Add a Canyon Hike: Wahclella, Elowah or Eagle Creek

The roadside falls are wonderful, but the side canyons east of Multnomah are where the Gorge feels wild. Pick one.

Wahclella Falls

Wahclella Falls is the best effort-to-reward hike in the Gorge. The trail follows Tanner Creek for 2.4 miles round trip to a two-tiered waterfall pouring into a deep, mossy bowl. The trailhead lot is tiny, with about 12 spaces and overflow parking nearby, and it requires a Northwest Forest Pass or an America the Beautiful pass. Arrive early on weekends.

Elowah Falls

Elowah Falls drops 213 feet into an amphitheater of basalt. From the John B. Yeon trailhead it's about 1.4 miles round trip to the base, or about 2.2 miles if you also take the branch that climbs to Upper McCord Creek Falls along a trail blasted into the cliff, with railings. The Yeon trailhead does not need a pass.

Eagle Creek to Punch Bowl Falls

Eagle Creek is the Gorge's classic waterfall trail and the namesake of the 2017 fire. The hike to Punch Bowl Falls is roughly 4 miles round trip, along ledges above the creek that have cables bolted to the rock in places. Continuing much farther leads to Tunnel Falls, where the trail passes through a tunnel behind the waterfall, but that's a long day and the exposure is serious. The trailhead requires a Northwest Forest Pass, and free self-issue wilderness permits are available at the wilderness boundary. This is not a trail for small children or anyone uneasy with drop-offs; see our guide to waterfall hikes with kids for easier choices.

Quick Comparison

Waterfall	Height	Walk from parking	Pass needed
Latourell Falls	249 ft	Short paved path	No
Bridal Veil Falls	About 100 ft	Short trail, downhill to the falls	Check at the park
Wahkeena Falls	242 ft	Roadside	No
Multnomah Falls	620 ft	Short paved walk; 2.4 mi round trip to the top	Summer timed permit for the I-84 lot
Horsetail Falls	176 ft	Roadside	No
Elowah Falls	213 ft	About 1.4 mi round trip	No
Wahclella Falls	Two tiers	2.4 mi round trip	Northwest Forest Pass
Punch Bowl Falls	Not stated	About 4 mi round trip	Northwest Forest Pass

Heights are the figures published by the Forest Service and Oregon State Parks.

When to Go

The Forest Service says Multnomah Falls usually flows highest in winter and spring, and that pattern holds for the whole Gorge. Here's how the seasons compare:

Spring (March to May): my pick. Strong flow, bright green moss, wildflowers along the cliff trails, and you're ahead of the summer permit season until late May.
Summer: the warmest and driest weather, but also the biggest crowds and the Multnomah permit. Smaller falls like Wahkeena and Bridal Veil carry noticeably less water by August.
Fall: quieter, with fall color in the side canyons and flow building again once the rains return, usually by November.
Winter: the most water and the fewest people, but the Gorge funnels cold wind, and ice storms can coat trails and close roads. Check conditions before you leave Portland.

Our guide to the best time to visit waterfalls explains why rain and snowmelt matter so much for flow.

Safety Notes for the Gorge

The basalt in the Gorge stays wet and slick most of the year, and the moss that makes it beautiful also makes it treacherous. Stay on trails and behind railings, especially at the top of Multnomah Falls and on the Eagle Creek ledges. Rockfall happens on the cliff trails after freeze-thaw cycles and heavy rain. None of the falls on this route are swimming spots; the creeks are cold year-round and several protect spawning fish. Our waterfall safety tips cover the hazards in more detail.

Fire is the other big one. The Eagle Creek Fire in 2017 burned across much of this corridor and closed trails for years. Follow fire restrictions in summer, and remember that trail closures after fires, landslides or storms are common here. The Forest Service's Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area alerts page is the place to check before any visit.

Where to Go Next

If you have a second day, the Washington side of the river has its own falls, and the Mount Hood area to the south adds alpine waterfalls like Ramona Falls. Browse every waterfall in Oregon to plan the rest of your trip, or see how Oregon stacks up in our ranking of the states with the most waterfalls.

For the official word on permits and conditions, start with the U.S. Forest Service's Multnomah Falls page and the Multnomah Falls timed use permit on Recreation.gov.