Multnomah Falls is Oregon's tallest waterfall at 620 feet (189 metres), and it sits only about 30 minutes from Portland — yet visiting without a car is a hassle. That's the gap filled by a half-day van tour of the Columbia River Gorge that an Oregon-based travel writer has just reviewed after taking it with her parents, calling it the highest-rated tour in the state with thousands of five-star reviews on Viator.
The afternoon tour runs roughly four hours from a park-and-ride meeting point on Burnside Ave., with one guide doubling as driver and narrator — covering the gorge's geology, native plants, and even which wild berries are safe to eat. Stops come in quick succession, mostly 10 to 20 minutes apart.
First up is Vista House, a hilltop rest stop and museum built from Alaskan limestone and marble. Locals nicknamed it the "$100,000 Outhouse" because its architect overspent so badly the town went bankrupt. It was closed during the visit — its hours are sporadic — but the panoramic gorge views alone justify the 10-minute stop.
Then come four waterfalls in escalating size. Latourell Falls (225 feet) is reached via a flat quarter-mile walk. Shepherd Dell Falls hides a 300-foot drop behind forest, best appreciated from eye level after a short descent. Wahkeena Falls stretches 500 feet and requires the steepest — though still short — walk of the day, about 400 metres that most people finish in under ten minutes. Anyone who prefers to skip a trail can wait at the van.
The finale is Multnomah Falls itself, with around 40 minutes of free time. The quarter-mile path up to the photogenic bridge is gentler than the earlier walks, and arriving near 5 pm means the worst of the crowds have thinned — a real plus at a site with notoriously limited parking. There's a coffee shop and gift shop at the base, and the van gets you back to Portland in about half an hour, early enough for dinner and ahead of rush hour.
The reviewer's verdict is a clear yes: the walks are easy enough for most fitness levels and kids, the frequent stops keep families engaged, and it solves the car problem entirely. Two caveats worth knowing — the tour runs rain or shine, so pack a rain jacket no matter the season, and it's a sightseeing trip rather than a hiking one. If you want to summit above Multnomah Falls, this isn't your tour.
Booking through Viator adds free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, plus a pay-later option secured 48 hours out. For travellers with a free afternoon in Portland, it's an efficient way to sample the Pacific Northwest's waterfall country without a full day or a rental car.
Review first published by Destinationless Travel.
