Short answer: yes! As long as the roads are open — which is currently true. Our Columbia Gorge Waterfalls tour to Multnomah Falls and other smaller falls, as well as the Hike and Bike the Columbia Gorge Waterfalls tours, are both open. We’ve also been operating our Silver Falls Waterfall hiking tour from Portland as long as the trails are not very icy.
In January 2024, we experienced one of the most intense ice and wind storms the area had experienced in the past century — those of us who have been around since then remembered the great ice storm of 1978. Inches of ice stood on sidewalks, every leaf and branch was coated with a layer of ice thick enough to put in your cocktail. Branches collapsed under the weight; with the wind, many trees toppled. This year we have been fortunate so far not to experience any winter storms.
The snow and ice always have a double impact in the Columbia Gorge, as many things contribute: the narrow gorge increases wind speed; the steep cliffs send snow drifts piling onto roadways and trails; the sun never shines all the way onto Multnomah and Wahkeena trails from November through March because of the angle of the sun in winter.
Snow persists, and when we do have snow storms we expect drifts on the side of the road and on some of the trail turns through April. Even on days with below-freezing temperatures, the waterfalls are accessible and sparkling. In January and February we’ve seen some of the most incredible views we’ve ever seen — spectacular double rainbows, the river reflective as glass, mosses lit from within. It is an unreal, brilliant time to visit — you can’t miss it!
