Multnomah Falls

Title

Multnomah Falls

Artist

Joy McAdams

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

A testament to nature's power and beauty, the majestic Multnomah Falls is a tall waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, located east of Troutdale, between Corbett and Dodson, along the Historic Columbia River Highway.

The falls drops in two major steps, split into an upper falls of 542 feet (165 m) and a lower falls of 69 feet (21 m), with a gradual 9 foot (3 m) drop in elevation between the two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620 feet (189 m). The two drops are due to a zone of more easily eroded basalt at the base of the upper falls.

Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon. It is credited by a sign at the site of the falls, and by the United States Forest Service, as the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. However, there is some skepticism surrounding this distinction, as Multnomah Falls is listed as the 156th tallest waterfall in the United States by the World Waterfall Database (this site does not distinguish between seasonal and year-round waterfalls).

Underground springs from Larch Mountain are the year-round source of water for the waterfall, augmented by spring runoff from the mountain's snowpack and rainwater during the other seasons.

A paved foot trail leads to Benson Footbridge, a 45-foot (14 m)-long footbridge that allows visitors to cross 105 feet (32 m) above the lower cascade. After a viewpoint of the upper falls, the trail continues up many switchbacks to a platform at the top of the upper falls where visitors get a bird's-eye view of the Columbia Gorge and also of "Little Multnomah", a small cascade slightly upstream from the "upper" falls, which is not visible from ground level. The Mark O. Hatfield Memorial Trail starts at the falls and continues through the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge to Starvation Creek. The footbridge is named for Simon Benson, who in 1914 financed Italian stonemasons to construct the bridge.

Benson soon gave Portland land that included most of the falls as well as nearby Wahkeena Falls. The Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company gave Portland land at the base of Multnomah Falls contingent upon their agreement to build a lodge at the site. A few years later architect A.E. Doyle, who designed the Meier & Frank Building, was commissioned by the city to design the lodge, which was completed in 1925. The lodge is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

In this image two individuals have hiked the well-trodden path alongside to falls to stand on the bridge that crosses over it. A selective color treatment has been given to this image to highlight the red jackets they were wearing.

Featured in the following FAA Groups:
Ladies Who Love Photography 5/25/2017
Images That Excite You 5/25/2017
Waiting Room Art 5/29/2017
Faa Collectors Group 5/29/2017
Your Very Best Photograph 6/08/2017
New FAA Uploads 6/14/2017

Uploaded

May 25th, 2017

Statistics

Viewed 446 Times  -  Last Visitor from Cambridge, MA on 04/26/2024 at 1:28 AM

Colors

Embed

Sales Sheet