And still fewer venture onward on the spectacular 5.4-mile loop to neighboring Wahkeena Falls. From the parking area at exit 31 of Interstate 84, walk under the overpass to the base of the waterfall. Walk straight toward the falls to find the paved trail switchbacking up to a stone bridge between the two segments of Multnomah Falls' long cascade. Then continue uphill on a switchbacking path through the woods 0.6 mile to a T-shaped intersection. The path to the right leads a few hundred yards to a fenced overlook hanging atop the lip of Multnomah Falls.
Most hikers gasp at the view and return to their cars.
Then turn right on the Wahkeena Trail, which climbs gradually for 0.9 mile to a trail junction at a wooded ridgecrest. Go straight, following the Wahkeena Trail as it dives down 1.9 miles past viewpoints and more waterfalls to the old Columbia River Highway. The entire loop is five miles long and gains 1,700 feet of elevation. Multnomah Falls has had its share of trauma. A bus-sized chunk of the fall's cliff broke loose in the winter of 1996, apparently loosened by the Columbia Gorge's normal freezing and thawing.