Multnomah Falls, other Columbia Gorge trails reopen after extended COVID-19 closures
Zach Urness
One of Oregon's top outdoor tourism destinations reopened Tuesday after an extended closure due to COVID-19.
Multnomah Falls, Oregon's tallest waterfall and most visited outdoor showcase, announced that it would open with some major tweaks to the visiting experience.
Other waterfall trails in the Gorge are also to reopening today.
The reopening of Multnomah will take place in a phased manner, with limits on the number of people allowed to visit at once.
The reopened will proceed as follows:
- Phase 1, which begins Tuesday, will allow up to 300 people to visit between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. This may lead to longer lines in a “queuing area” while waiting to enter the site.
- Phase 2, which is expected to begin in the next two or three weeks, will introduce an online ticketing system which allows access by reservation only through recreation.gov. A limited number of tickets will allow 300 people to visit the waterfall each hour.
“We are dedicated to providing access to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Multnomah Falls,” said Lynn Burditt, the forest supervisor, “through aligning with all state and CDC safety guidelines, addressing safety concerns, and connecting people with this natural and historic treasure.”
Face coverings will be required to enter and social distancing will be enforced at the recreation site.
While the Multnomah Falls Recreation Area and the Historic Lodge will be open, Benson Bridge spanning the base of Multnomah Falls as well as the trail to the top of the falls and the loop trail to Wahkeena Falls will remain closed, officials said.
In addition to Multnomah, most other Gorge trails that had remained close will reopen, the U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department said.
Reopened trails and parks include: Bridal Veil, Angel’s Rest, Guy Talbot, Tooth Rock, John Yeon and Ainsworth.
Horsetail Falls Trail will be open to Ponytail Falls, Wahkeena Trail will be open to the Larch Mountain Trail, though parking is likely to be limited, officials said. Wyeth Campground will open along with the Gorton Creek Trailhead and Gorge 400 Trail.
Sites expected to stay closed include: Vista House at Crown Point, Benson State Park, Shepperd’s Dell, the Eagle Creek campground and trail, Wahclella Falls Trail and Oneonta Trail and Gorge.
When limited access to Multnomah Falls begins, the Historic Columbia River Highway will also reopen between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth. The road will be open for driving but parking will not be available along the Historic Highway by Multnomah Falls.
Parking and access to Multnomah?
The I-84 parking lot for Multnomah Falls will re-open but high demand means the gates at the eastbound entrance will close when the limited parking spaces fill up.
Crossing arms will close the eastbound entrance to the lot when the 186 spaces are filled, and travelers must observe these closures.
If the gates are closed, no parking will be available, and visitors will have to return to the Falls at another time. Westbound access will be closed to prevent back-ups on the freeway.
The I-84 parking lot will remain open if no safety concerns stem from traffic congestion issues.
The Columbia Gorge Express bus will not stop at Multnomah Falls during this first phase of reopening. When the Forest Service implements its Falls reservation system, the Columbia Gorge Express will begin serving Multnomah Falls and will not stop Rooster Rock State Park at any time in 2020.
This story will be updated.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter, photographer and videographer in Oregon for 12 years. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors.