Columbia River Gorge Waterfalls

The Columbia River Gorge cuts through the Cascade Range and forms much of the boundary between Oregon and Washington. Basalt cliffs rise above the river, and tributaries drop through the forest on both sides. The five waterfalls shown here range from a small cascade reached on foot to Multnomah Falls, which drops 620 feet in two main tiers.

For photography, the differences matter more than the waterfall count. Some locations offer a fixed viewpoint; others allow room to work from the stream, the riverbank, or higher ground. Slow shutter speeds bring out the structure of the falling water, but my preferred exposure depends on how quickly it is moving and how much detail should remain.

Fairy Falls

Fairy Falls is a relatively small, spreading cascade on the Oregon side of the Gorge. Water divides into thin strands as it runs over a fan of moss-covered rock, so the shape of the falls is easier to see at a slow shutter speed than at a fast one.

The photograph was made at 1/5 second. That was long enough to separate the many small flows without turning the whole cascade into a featureless white patch.

Spirit Falls

Spirit Falls drops 33 feet (10 meters) into a blue-green pool on the Washington side of the Columbia. Most photographs emphasize the color of the pool, but the top of the falls also has a useful pattern of channels and ledges.

I used a 70mm lens to isolate the upper plunge into an abstract view. At 1/3 second, the water retained some texture as it crossed the dark basalt. Kayakers occasionally run the falls, which adds scale and also raises questions about their judgment.

Punchbowl Falls

Punchbowl Falls sits on Eagle Creek in Oregon. Its water drops into a rounded basin, and the falls gave their name to the general term “punchbowl waterfall.”

The stream-level view required working from the water (bring waders!) and aiming upstream. From that position, the pool occupies most of the foreground and the falls appear at the far end of the narrow channel.

A second view from above shows the circular basin more clearly. The three-second exposure smoothed the pool and reduced the falling water to a narrow white line.

The carved riverbank nearby was worth a separate photograph. Ferns grew from the shaded rock above the stream, with the curved bank repeating the shape of the fronds.

Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls has two main tiers with a combined drop of 620 feet (189 meters), almost twice the height of Niagara Falls. Benson Bridge crosses in front of the lower section and provides an immediate sense of scale.

It is the best-known waterfall in the Gorge, and an iconic tourism destination, but it is not my favorite to photograph. The standard composition is strongly defined by the two tiers and the bridge, leaving less room to find a view that does not look like every postcard of the place. The height is impressive; the photographic options are more limited.

Panther Creek Falls

Panther Creek Falls is in Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The two main tiers drop about 130 feet in total: 102 feet in the upper section and 28 feet in the lower one.

A short, moderately steep trail leads to a viewing platform. From there, a longer lens compresses the separate channels of water running through the mossy cliff and removes most of the lush surrounding forest from the frame.

The Gorge offers many more waterfalls than can fit into one visit, and spring conditions can change the same falls from day to day. These five provided very different photographs within a relatively small area. I would return for Punchbowl and Panther Creek first; Multnomah will probably manage without me.