Oregon is a waterfall lover’s paradise, with at least 238 named waterfalls across the state. If you’d like to see 8 of Oregon’s tallest falls in just one day, you’ll want to head to the Columbia River Valley, which is just brimming with waterfalls. Here are some of the most impressive!
This road trip doesn’t include the top 8 tallest falls. Some of those waterfalls are difficult to reach, or were too far outside the starting area of our trip to make them feasible to include. However, all 8 of the falls along this road trip are amongst the top 40 tallest waterfalls in Oregon.
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Our Wonderful Waterfall Trail takes you through the Columbia River Gorge, stretching from Benson State Park all the way to Cascade Locks.
The map notes that the road trip takes 1 hour and 33 minutes, but of course, that figures that you’ll drive right past these beauties. In reality, you’ll want to get a very early start and spend all day long to take some of the hikes to see these falls.
Along the way, there are numerous other waterfalls to see, but they’re not listed here because they’re not some of Oregon’s tallest. Feel free to pull over and explore them, too! Click here for directions.
How to combine Jackson Hole, Grand Teton National Park and
Yellowstone into one amazing adventure
Cross two life-changing experiences off your bucket list during the same vacation when you travel to Wyoming. Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone – two of the most beautiful destinations in the world – are within an easy hour’s drive of one another.
Combine these two treasures into one vacation of a lifetime by completing one of these easy road trips. Whether you drive to the starting point or fly into Jackson Hole and rent a car, you’ll find plenty of local resources to help you along the way.
Drive #1: Best of Grand Teton and Yellowstone
Start: Jackson, WY (often called Jackson Hole)
The route: Take US-89 N to Moran, then northwest to Jackson Lake, continuing north to the south entrance of Yellowstone. You’ll soon pass Lewis Lake and several waterfalls. As time allows, continue on the park road to West Thumb and Upper geyser basin (where Old Faithful lies).
Highlights: This trip allows you to explore the Grand Teton range and Jackson Hole along with Yellowstone, our nation’s first national park. You’ll discover geysers, historic lodges, wildlife, alpine lakes, and more.
The first things you’ll notice, rising 13,000 feet into the sky, are the Tetons. The drama of these peaks are in the contrast – they rise sharply from a horizon of shimmering lakes, braided river flows, thick forests, and alpine meadows.
