Above: View of the Columbia River Gorge from Vista House
Below: I had to include a picture of this sign, because I thought it was an interesting bit of roadside trivia. I saw this sign just before I crossed into Oregon from Washington. Of course, I couldn't see any of the mountains because it was too hazy.... oh well!
I spent the entire day today hiking and photographing waterfalls within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The Columbia River Gorge is home to no less than 77 waterfalls (according to a sign I read). There are, of course, a few that are more well-known than most of the others. The undisputed most-popular waterfall in the gorge is Multnomah Falls, so of course I had to stop there. Multnomah is a very high two-step falls, the upper falls is 542 feet, the lower falls is 69 feet. There is a gradual 9 foot drop in between the two falls, making for a total drop of 620 feet. It is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon.
After visiting Multnomah, I went to a couple of other waterfalls that had big drops. Pictured below is Latourell Falls, a 249 foot waterfall that drops straight down from an overhanging basalt cliff. The patterns within the rock were fascinating here, as was the green lichen.
The third major waterfall that I visited was Elowah Falls, pictured below. Elowah Falls is a 289 foot waterfall that drops into a beautiful side canyon of the Columbia Gorge. The trail to Elowah Falls is a treat in itself, winding through a dense section of forest riddled with ferns.
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