![]() ![]() The path ultimately appears to terminate at a boulder. The trail continues to wind in and out of the woods as it climbs, passing numerous burn areas. After a brief jaunt in the trees, it emerges onto a semi-exposed ridge face, providing your first true glimpse of the Gorge. The route continues alongside Coopey Creek for a short distance before crossing a footbridge and becoming marginally steeper. There is a trail spur at the first obvious rest point that terminates at the top of the falls and offers a pleasant view of the creek. After about a half mile you’ll hear Coopey Falls, a tall, horsetail waterfall fed by Coopey Creek. The grade increases marginally as the trail turns away from the road, though it never becomes exceptionally steep. The trail itself begins with a mild uphill through quiet, old-growth forest. Parking can be limited at the trailhead, though it’s generally easy to find space on weekday mornings. If you have a little extra time and don’t mind narrow, winding roads, beautiful forest, and roadside fruit stands, take the Columbia River Highway. There are two ways to reach the Angel’s Rest trailhead from Portland: take I-84 E, then get off at Bridal Veil (exit 28) or take I-84 E, then take the Historic Columbia River Highway (accessible from Troutdale, east). For those like myself who worried that the fire had wiped out our favorite Gorge spots: don’t. The burn areas look verdant, healthy, and well on their way to recovery. Due in large part to extensive restoration efforts, the trail looks almost exactly as I remember it. It was the first time that I’d hiked in the Gorge post-fire, and I was anxious to see the extent of the damage. Although Angel’s Rest re-opened in November 2018, I didn’t return until May 2019. Then, in 2017, the Eagle Creek Fire forced the closure of a majority of the Gorge’s trails, Angel’s Rest among them. It had been my go-to, showcase hike for visiting friends for years. It’s a mere 40-minute drive from town yet offers varied terrain and incredible views of the Columbia River Gorge. In the twenty years that I’ve lived in Portland, I’ve hiked Angel’s Rest more times than I can count. Kid Friendly: Yes, although it’s likely most suitable for those eight and older Dog Friendly: Yes, provided they’re good with heights and rocks Every visitor should have to follow the same rules, otherwise there really is no point.When: Location: Angel’s Rest, Columbia River Gorge, OR Conditions: Sunny and warm Duration: 2.5 hours Distance: Between 4.5 and 5 miles roundtrip Trail Format: Out-and-back Difficulty: Moderate, with a small scramble at the top. But if you publish "walking flow" maps and require masks, then please enforce the rules uniformly. Personally, I would have felt fine not wearing a mask as long as we were outside. ![]() I am not usually the one who complains about mask enforcement. The employee seemed intimidated by that group. We encountered a large family group (more than 20 people) that were particularly loud and boisterous, running and pushing each other and making it hard for others to enjoy the falls. We complied, but most visitors removed their masks immediately after passing the checkpoint. Walkways are one direction and chained off. As we approached the falls, we passed a mask checkpoint and an employee told us not to take off our masks while in the viewing area. The details and effort of Covid restrictions is ridiculous, especially for an outside attraction. Which brings me to my only complaint during our visit. You aren't supposed to approach on Columbia River Highway (the scenic byway) or drop people off, but during our visit, we saw people doing both. From the parking lot you walk through a tunnel to towards the lodge. To reach the falls, you need to take the exit off I-84 in either direction. Something like that had never happened to me before and I was impressed with the response. I emailed to the contact address with the discrepancy, never expecting to hear back and received several return emails stating that after a meeting with state officials, the website had been corrected. Prior to our visit, information on this website differed from the Oregon travel websites which was confusing. I would definitely recommend checking the USDA forest service website for the latest updates. I think many had not yet realized that the falls were open and there was a wildfire close by during our visit. We also didn't encounter a wait for parking or for admission. We visited immediately after the reopening, Multnomah Falls did not require tickets at that time, but I believe that has now changed. The falls are beautiful and in person seem even taller than in the pictures. ![]()
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