Multnomah Falls, Oregon, USA (with Map & Photos)

We travelers love knowing the stories behind each castle, each forest or each special place to visit. Well, there are some waterfalls that originate from a sad legend. We are talking about the Multnomah, which are located in the United States, in the state of Oregon, near Portland. And of course, as it is not a very common destination, it is an area rarely visited by Europeans.

Multnomah Falls, a natural wonder


These falls have two sections of fall: the first of 165 meters and the second of 21 meters. At the junction of both there is a bridge built in 1914, which can be crossed to follow the path that leads to the upper part. The route is about two kilometers long and has a drop of 200 meters. It is a somewhat hard but short slope.

Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls

The Multnomah Falls are only half an hour from the aforementioned city of Portland, following the Columbia River Gorge route. Along the way it is worth stopping at some viewpoints that offer spectacular views of the riverbed.

Upon arrival, the traveler finds an establishment: the Multnomah Falls Lodge, which has a bar, restaurant and souvenir shop. It was built in 1925 in the Canadian style, with stone walls and a slate roof.

Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls

The Legend of Multnomah


Now a bit of legend about the origin of the falls. They say that the chief of the Multnomah tribe had a beautiful daughter whom he decided to marry a young Clatsop chief. they both met and love sprang up instantly. They were made for each other.

Everything was going smoothly. They announced the wedding day as a great party. There would be games, dances, contests, etc. and all the tribes began preparations.

Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls

But the day of the wedding woke up with many sick people. After asking the shamans, no one knew how to give an answer. Then, a man with a white beard and a cane came up claiming that he was a true "medicine man" and predicted that the disease would claim many lives. "To calm the wrath of the Great Spirit and make people heal, you have to sacrifice a maiden daughter of a chief, " he must have blurted out as if it were not history with him.

Well, the inhabitants of the area decided to abide by their destiny and not sacrifice any life. But one afternoon, the chief's daughter went to visit her future husband and found him very ill. So she headed to the edge of a cliff above the White River. She told the Great Spirit that she was willing to die so that the terrible disease would end.

Multnomah Falls
Multnomah Falls

Then the full moon cast its light on her. At that moment he stepped forward and fell into the river. Legend has it that it was the tribal chief's tears for losing his daughter that created the Multnomah Falls.

Multnomah Falls Map