Karen and I explored the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in August 2025. This is our nation’s largest scenic area, and the mighty Columbia River runs for 80 miles through it.
Wealthy railroad Attorney, Sam Hall, answered the call on this bluff, known as Chanticleer Point, in 1913 for a scenic highway along the Columbia River where “tired men and women…may enjoy the wild beauty of nature’s art gallery and recreate themselves”. By 1920, the Historic Columbia River Highway was dubbed the “king of roads.”
There are 90 waterfalls on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. At 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the tallest in Oregon. Multnomah Falls is only 30 miles east of Portland, draws 2 million visitors per year, and requires a $10 day pass to be purchased online. It’s a commanding force worth braving the masses and paying the fees to experience.
We had one day to chase waterfalls in the gorge, so we stuck to the largest outpourings with the shortest hikes along the Waterfall Corridor. Wahkenna Falls is 242 feet, and its Yakama tribal name means “most beautiful.”
Bridal Veil Falls cascades 118 feet from under a bridge built in 1914 down two steps to a deep pool at the bottom. It’s a short .3 mile hike to the base of the waterfall and a first-hand encounter with the water’s energy.
Many sightseers traveling the Historic Columbia River Highway cross the bridge over the Shepperd’s Dell ravine and miss the roaring waters of Shepperd’s Dell Falls plunging down the upper fall for 42 feet, before continuing another 50 feet to Youngs Creek. A tiny parking spot for 3-4 vehicles of small size is the only indication that this beautiful fall is within a short walk of the bridge.
We did not view these waterfalls in sequence as laid out on a map due to traffic and sometimes challenging parking. The water wonders are close enough together to skip one and go back with ease. Horsetail Falls was a two-for-one stop. Horsetail Falls cascades 176 feet into a large, clear, and picturesque pool just steps away from the parking lot.
A steep, half-mile trail up the east side of Horsetail Falls led us to Ponytail Falls. Ponytail’s water appears to gush out of the side of the mountain and plunge 75 feet into an azure pool.
The view from behind Ponytail Falls was cool and gorgeous.
Chasing waterfalls is exhausting. Hungry and thirsty, we crossed the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods to the Washington side in search of a meal with a view.
We settled into a table by the window at Clark and Lewie’s Travelers Restaurant & Grill. The single serving of Ground Beef, Elk, and Seasonal Mushroom Stroganoff could easily have fed four.
Outside on the Columbia River, it was gusting 15 to 25 mph, and the windsurfers, kite boarders, and wing boarders were having a blast. Oregon has cooler air on the coast that is drawn east through the gorge by warmer air inland, giving the Columbia River Gorge the most consistent winds anywhere. We finished most of our lunch and drove back to our hotel in Portland, content that we had made a small dent in discovering the many natural wonders that await visitors to this magical place.