A great little getaway to enjoy a handful of waterfall hikes

An easy 3-hour drive South of Seattle and you have arrived at the Columbia River Gorge. This is the canyon that separates Washington from Oregon, cutting right through the Cascade Mountains.

We came for the waterfalls. So will you.

#1: Multnomah Falls

First of all, Multnomah falls is the most visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, quoted from the USDA Forest Service. That is a big deal.

If you’re like me, and most people I know, you do not enjoy nature when there are crowds of people around.

Therefore, wake up early, and get here before the crowds. We showed up right around 9 AM on a Saturday, had zero problems finding parking and were able to get a great, personal moment with the waterfall.

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#2: Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is listed as a hike, but I would consider this more of a nature walk. An in and out 1.4-mile loop. You can do it, your kids can do it, your grandparents can probably do it.

We arrived just after 10 AM on a Saturday, had zero problems finding parking and were able to get yet another great, personal moment with a waterfall.

#3: Latourell Falls

Arriving just after 11 AM on a Saturday, and we swiped up the very last parking spot. Lucky us!

We hopped right on the first trail we saw. We did not stop and read any information because we assumed this hike would be just like the last 2 attractions. AKA, not hikes. The previous 2 nature walks that we completed were easy, in and out loops that would be completed in less than 20 minutes.

Guess what? We were wrong.

We started up a dirt hill that turned into a trail and it just kept going and going and going. 20 minutes in, probably should have brought my water bottle. Oh well.

A few minutes later, WOW. Look at that waterfall! We can even walk behind it. And you bet your tailfeather, that is exactly what we did.

After that fun moment, we continued onward. 20 more minutes in and we started to wonder where we were, as the trail continued to incline. Thank goodness for smartphones. We opened up our maps, zoomed into the trail, located ourselves on the map and saw that we had inadvertently selected the upper falls loop. Whoops! 

At that point, we were about 2/3 of the way through. Too far in to turn back at this point, we continued on the trail. Just a few minutes later and the trail dropped us right on the side of the road. From there, we walked back over a bridge and arrived right where we started. We got lucky here, as this wasn’t a complicated hike. But it was a great reminder that in the future, before we start any hike, need to take a look at the length and course of the trail. 

Now, it was time to see the main, lower, Latourell Falls. Less than half a mile and there she was.

Brilliant. Radiant. Mesmerizing.

That inner child came back. Kaleb and I immediately ran down to the waterfall and got as close as we could. We wanted to feel that chilly, rushing water on our skin. And that is exactly what we did.

For about 30 seconds, the entire world disappeared. I understood exactly what it was to live in the moment. Laughing uncontrollably, the wind pushing me all over the place and the ice-cold water pouring down from above. 

Absolutely sensational.

If there is one thing I learned from this weekend adventure it is this:

Waterfalls are my sanctuary, my holy place, my refuge, my escape.