Introduction

Plummeting 620 feet from its origins on Larch Mountain, Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States.  Nearly two million visitors a year come to see this ancient waterfall making it Oregon’s number one public destination.

Fed by underground springs from Larch Mountain, the flow over the falls varies usually being highest during winter and spring.

Multnomah Falls offers one of the best places in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area to study geology exposed by floods. Five flows of Yakima basalt are visible in the fall's cliff face. 

Benson Bridge and The Lodge

The complementing architecture around the falls, Benson Bridge and Multnomah Falls Lodge is one of the many features that makes this waterfall special. Benson Bridge, crafted by Italian stone masons, allows visitors to cross the falls between it's lower and upper cataracts. In 1914, Simon Benson, a prominent businessman and owner of the falls at that time, erected the bridge.  Before then, a log bridge was in its place.  Benson gave the 300 acre site to the City of Portland. In 1943, final ownership of the site and lodge was transferred to the USDA Forest Service.  The Lodge was built in 1925 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It had dormitories and four rooms for overnight stays. Every type of rock found in the Columbia River Gorge is represented in the Lodge.

Inside the lower level of the Lodge is a USDA Forest Service Information Center, a snack bar, and a gift shop. In the upper portion of the lodge is a restaurant  serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The restaurant is assessable by elevator for people with disabilities.

Click below for information about the restaurant and other services provided by the lodge.

www.multnomahfallslodge.com