Oregon waterfalls, part 2: Multnomah to Elowah

by | Nov 2, 2008 | Silly, Travel

To get the first part of the story, check out Oregon waterfalls, part 1: Latourell to Wahkeena.

Multnomah Falls. The most photographed waterfall in Oregon and the second tallest falls in the United States at an amazing 620 feet. I always find waterfalls that have their own snack bar to be slightly less impressive (see Snoqualmie Falls), but as you can see, this waterfall is still beautiful even with the crowds (which Eric skillfully cropped out of this photo). :)

Horsetail Falls. Apparently most folks turn around at Multnomah Falls because there were (pleasantly) far less people along the highway by the time we reached Horsetail Falls, a mere 2.5 miles away. This waterfall is viewable from the road and unique as it’s carved itself a little slide in the rock.

Ponytail Falls. Further up the trail beyond Horsetail Falls is this pretty waterfall that shoots out of a crevice in the rock. You can walk behind the falls and get a shot from the other side as well. The top part of the falls is not viewable from this position, but you can see the entire waterfall through the trees as you approach. This hike is a moderate mile or so round trip.

Elowah Falls. This was our last hike of the day and we were a bit surprised to find the hike longer than it was listed in our Northwest waterfalls book. Even though my legs felt like lead at the end of this hike, it was completely worth it. This is a beautifully lush spot and the water falling is whisper quiet even when you are right in front of the falls.

One thing to note is that for every waterfall that wasn’t a roadside view, we had to hike some steep terrain to reach them. We’re in pretty good shape but our legs were done after seven miles of constant up and down walking. Still, we’ll be back because there is so much more that we didn’t see!

Tagged with: hiking | Oregon | Portland | waterfalls

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