Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls loop hike - Columbia Gorge, Oregon

I had the whole day Wednesday with my Mini-Adventurer, so we took advantage of the weather and headed to the Columbia River Gorge for a waterfall hike. Ever since we moved out to the country with a small creek on our property, he has been enamored with water. I figured a hike full of waterfalls would really impress him. Our plan was to hike the Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls loop. It's just under 5 miles round-trip.

Download route (one-way) as shown in map above in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format or GPX format for use with GPS units and mapping programs. Disclaimer.

This was going to be Julian's longest hike ever, so I was unsure how it would go. We were off to a great start getting out of the house just after 8 AM and on the trail by 9 AM. We decided to do the loop backwards leaving from Multnomah Falls and heading down the return trail to the Wahkeena Falls trailhead. The weather was pleasant with partially sunny skies and temperature in the mid 40's. Our Mini-Adventurer was excited and eager to go when we saw Multnomah Falls from the parking lot.

   

We made short work of the return trail #442 over to Wahkeena Falls. But not fast enough for Julian, as he kept saying "more water" as we hiked toward the falls.

   

We were the only ones at Wahkeena Falls, leaving ample opportunity for photos.

   

We continued on our hike with the Mini-Adventurer eagerly waiting for the next waterfall or creek view.

   

Before hiking to Fairy Falls, we made the short side trip to Lemon's Viewpoint.

   

We made a quick side trip to see Wahkeena Springs where the creek begins its short journey to the Columbia River. At this point in our hike we had only seen four other people. We then saw Ecola Falls, Weisendanger Falls and "Dutchman Falls.

   

As we began to descend to the Multnomah Falls overlook, we started to see more people. I think Julian was just as excited about people watching as seeing waterfalls.

   

We stopped on Benson Bridge where someone was kind enough to take a picture of us.

   

Back at Multnomah Falls trailhead, we took a break to enjoy some snacks. The Mini-Adventurer was still in good spirits which kept me in great spirits! Maybe he's ready for an even longer hike next time. Since arriving home, every time Julian sees the hiking backpack, he says "uh-moh-mah" (meaning Multnomah Falls). Carrying him on my back is great training for me so it's a win-win.

Gear List

Deuter Kid Comfort II Backpack
GoLite Kenai Pertex 2.5L Jacket
Petzl TIKKA XP 2 Headlamp
Olympus Tough TG-1 Camera
First Aid Kit
SPOT Gen3
Samsung Galaxy S5 w/BackCountry Navigator
Suunto A-10 Compass