March 22, 2018. The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area announced on March 19 that the lower viewing platform at Multnomah Falls is now open to the public. The platform, which gives visitors a close-up view of one of Oregon’s most popular natural wonders, has been closed since Sept. 4 — two days after the start of the Eagle Creek Fire.
In the months since, the U.S. Forest Service has conducted a significant amount of repair work, including rebuilding a rock catchment fence above the platform and removing hazardous trees and loose rocks. Now that the fence project is complete, visitors can once again view the Falls safely from up close.
Much of the surrounding area remains closed, however, until additional repair work is completed.
The trail to Benson Bridge, which spans the upper and lower falls, will remain closed until the Shady Creek Bridge is replaced and the lower Larch Mountain Trail is cleared and stabilized. The CRGNSA hopes to complete most of this repair work by sometime this summer, but there is no projected timeline for re-opening the trail to the Upper Viewing platform.
The USFS will continue mitigation and repair work within the Eagle Creek Burned Area and will continue to re-open trails, roadways and recreation sites as soon as it is safe to do so.
