From Wenatchee we had to make our way back to Portland. Sadly, our trip was coming to an end.There are a couple of different routes back and we decided to go through the Yakima Valley and travel through the Columbia River Gorge area.
We made very few stops on our way but we were still very much in awe of the breathtaking scenery. Seeing hop farms was something new for us. Seeing kite surfers in the river was really neat.
The Bonneville Fish Hatchery and Ladder was GREAT and I highly recommend it to everyone. Because we had a timed entry for Multnomah Falls, we couldn't spend much time at the Hatchery, but what we saw was interesting. This was a completely different experience that what we saw (really, what we didn't see) the day prior. There were so many fish in the runs and the holding tanks. This was cool, but I realized that we were in the wrong area to see the ladder-- which was the main reason for the stop.
As you enter the property, turn left at the flag pole to go to the hatchery and turn right(ish) to go to the damn and the fish ladder. This is were we erred. So, we jumped back into our car and made our way in the opposite direction.
Arriving at the damn, April, who was driving, was asked to step outside of the vehicle so the officer could perform a vehicle check. He asked if we had any fireworks or firearms. Then he let us drive inside. The fish ladder building is very informative. It has multiple viewing areas. The downstairs gives a unique perspective of just how forcefully the fish must swim.....and how big the fish are. Next we went outside on the ground level were we could see the fish jumping up and over the ladder rungs. Truly a cool experience. Again, time wasn't on our side so we quickly made our way to our final destination......Multnomah Falls.
Multnomah Falls is a MUST see. I found it way more impressive than Snoqualmie because of the sheer height.The Falls can be viewed from the interstate but I encourage you to make it a stop on your journey. A "timed use permit" is required (June through September) and can be obtained by visiting the Recreation.gov website. The permit fee is $2 per vehicle. Please note, these permits MUST be obtained in advance. The permit allows access to the Falls but doesn't guarantee parking. Luckily, we were able to find parking easily.
After parking we made our way to the first "check point". Here the employee asked if we had a permit for the hour. If we answered yes he allowed us to go to the second checkpoint where the permit was scanned by another employee. From there we moved through a small tunnel (train track above us). There was a shallow water "hole" where some young kids were splashing around. After exciting the tunnel, there was an employee directing traffic and pedestrians. This is the parking lot area for folks traveling on the opposite side of the interstate. Additionally, here you will find a snack bar, a gift shop and a restaurant.
We immediately made our way up the stairs to the first landing. We took some pictures and just stood in amazement of the size and beauty of this waterfall. April, who is still scared of heights, did not want to walk to the bridge. This is a .5 mile walk (roundtrip) with a few switchbacks. From there the trail continues where you can even hike to the top of the Falls. In fact, this is a very trail rich area. If we had more time we would have hit some of these trails.
It's important to note that we saw some "waterfall shuttle" vans. Honestly, I am not sure what service they provide. However, there are several water falls in the area so I assume this shuttle helps people water fall hop. Sounds pretty cool.
After we wrapped up our time at Multnomah Falls, we got an ice cream cone and a milkshake at the snack bar. It was a great way to top off a beautiful, warm day.
The Travel Gritty: Both the Bonneville Fish Ladder and Multnomah Falls are must sees. We could have traveled back to Portland through Seattle in about the same time as this route; however, it was worth passing through Yakima Valley and following the Columbia River to see these two sites.
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