Multnomah Falls - A great afternoon hike near Portland

Here in Portland, you don't need to travel far to see breathtaking scenery.

Drive 26 miles east to the Columbia River Gorge and you'll find spectacular views of Mother Nature's Artistry.

This past weekend, I took a hike in the Columbia Gorge to the top of Multnomah falls with my daughter and our dog.

The 1.5 miles vertical incline was a great workout. To distract ourselves from tiring muscles, we snapped photos. Maidenhair and Sword ferns grew abundantly along the eleven switchbacks to the top of the falls.

Once we reached the top, we were greeted by a rambling river of melted snow from Mt. Hood.  

The crystal clear pools are shallow and provided refreshing relief for our tired feet. Huge boulders gave us a place to sit and soak in the surrounding beauty.

A short walk further gave us a scary vantage point where the water spills over the edge to create Multnomah Falls. We realized how high up we were by how small the cars looked in the parking lot below.

After the hike down, we purchased a cold drink and ice cream from the lodge. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful afternoon.