Willamette Falls

Overview

Willamette Falls is the largest waterfall in the Pacific Northwest by volume and the second-largest in the United States (after Niagara). The 12-meter-high, 450-meter-wide horseshoe falls on the Willamette River at Oregon City is a dramatic natural display.

Highlights

• Massive Scale: 450 meters wide — wider than Niagara Falls — with thundering flow during spring runoff.
• Historic Mills: The falls powered Oregon's earliest industries and the first long-distance AC electricity in the country.
• Riverwalk (upcoming): A public riverwalk is planned to provide the first unrestricted public access in over a century.

History

Sacred to the indigenous Clackamas people for millennia, the falls powered Oregon's first paper mills and woolen mills in the 1800s. In 1889, the first long-distance AC power transmission in the U.S. ran from the falls to Portland.

Visitor Tips

• Current viewing is from the Oregon City Arch Bridge or nearby viewpoints — direct access is under development.
• Spring runoff (March–May) produces the most dramatic flow.
• Duration: 15–30 minutes.