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This natural landmark is Oregon’s tallest waterfall, plunging 620 feet in two dramatic tiers through a moss-draped basalt gorge within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Fed by underground springs on Larch Mountain, the cascade thunders down a cliff face carved by Ice Age floods some 15,000 years ago, framed by ferns, bigleaf maples, and towering Douglas firs.

At its heart stands the Benson Footbridge, an elegant stone-and-concrete span built in 1914 by timber magnate Simon Benson, arching just above the lower falls’ misty plunge pool. The bridge offers an intimate vantage point where the roar of falling water and cool spray envelop visitors mid-crossing.

Steeped in Multnomah legend, where a chief’s daughter’s sacrifice is said to have created the falls, this site blends geological grandeur with cultural resonance. A paved trail climbs to an upper overlook, rewarding hikers with sweeping views across the forested gorge and the distant Columbia River.