What to See in Washougal - Top Sights and Attractions

Scenic natural area with steep falls. Multnomah Falls is a waterfall located on Multnomah Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, Oregon, United States. The waterfall is accessible from the Historic Columbia River Highway and Interstate 84. Spanning two tiers on basalt cliffs, it is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon at 620 ft in height. The Multnomah Creek Bridge, built in 1914, crosses below the falls, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The land surrounding the falls was developed by Simon Benson in the early-twentieth century, with a pathway, viewing bridge, and adjacent lodge being constructed in 1925. The Multnomah Falls Lodge and the surrounding footpaths at the falls were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Contemporarily, the state of Oregon maintains a switchback trail that ascends to a talus slope 100 feet (30 m) above the falls, and descends to an observation deck that overlooks the falls' edge. The falls attract over two million visitors each year, making it the most-visited natural recreation site in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.^[1]

Waterfall in Oregon. Wahkeena Falls is a 242-foot waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge in the state of Oregon.

The waterfall is unlike nearby Multnomah Falls in that the water does not directly plunge to the ground. Wahkeena Falls, rather, has a more subtle cascading flow. These falls have been featured in numerous travel guides and in photography books.

Spellings of this name are dubious because the word is an English transliteration of a Native American (reportedly Yakama) phrase meaning most beautiful.

Wahkeena Falls is along the Historic Columbia River Highway, about 13 miles (21 km) east of Troutdale, Oregon. A 0.2-mile (320 m) hike from the parking lot at the base leads to the stone bridge that crosses the main part of the falls. That trail continues on east to Multnomah Falls, the next falls to the east. This waterfall is visible directly from the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The Wahkeena Creek Bridge, an 18-foot bridge having "a simple reinforced-concrete slab span", below the falls, is a contributing structure in the Historic Columbia River Highway, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, and was further designated a National Historic Landmark District in 2000.^[2]

Waterfall in Oregon. Latourell Falls is a waterfall along the Columbia River Gorge in the U.S. state of Oregon, within Guy W. Talbot State Park.

The Historic Columbia River Highway passes nearby, and at certain locations the Lower falls are visible from the road. Near the base of the falls, a parking lot and path were erected to assist visitors to the site. Visitors must hike along the 2.1-mile (3.4 km) loop trail to see the upper falls.

The Latourell Creek Bridge, below the falls, is a contributing structure in the Historic Columbia River Highway's listing on the National Register of Historic Places and in its designation as a National Historic Landmark.

Latourell is unique among the best-known Columbia Gorge waterfalls, in the way that it drops straight down from an overhanging basalt cliff. Most of those falls (even the famous Multnomah Falls) tumble to some degree.

Latourell Falls is an excellent example of columnar basalt formations.^[3]

Waterfall in Oregon. The Bridal Veil Falls in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon is a waterfall located on Bridal Veil Creek. It is located in Multnomah County, Oregon, United States.

The Historic Columbia River Highway passes over Bridal Veil Falls on a bridge, the Bridal Veil Falls Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing structure. It is a skewed 100 feet (30 m) reinforced-concrete span, and is unique in its design in which its solid railings serve as continuous beams and transverse deck support members function as deck girders.

From a parking lot on the highway, a winding footpath and another bridge lead to a vantage point for the falls. The falls consists of two cascades in quick succession along angling rockfaces, so when there is a good amount of water the falls looks very much like its namesake.

There is a post office in the nearby community of Bridal Veil. Many couples have their wedding invitations shipped there in order to have the town's postmark applied to them.^[4]

Waterfall in Oregon. Coopey Falls is a waterfall on Coopey Creek in the Columbia River Gorge, on the Historic Columbia River Highway in Multnomah County, Oregon. The falls is a horsetail waterfall with a drop of 150 feet.

The falls was named after Charles Coopey, who once owned the land adjacent to the falls. Simon Benson bought Wahkeena Falls from Coopey, an English tailor who had wanted to use the water from Wahkeena Falls to power a woolen mill for spinning and weaving, and for wool scouring.

Coopey Falls is on private property behind a convent owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. The sisters invite visitors to view the falls by following a path leading from the parking lot in front of the convent, after first asking permission.

A view of the falls is also accessible from the Angels's Rest trailhead half mile west of the convent. The falls are located one mile (1.6 km) east of Bridal Veil Falls.^[6]