This is an Oregon hike, but the air quality looked good for a morning hike along the Columbia Gorge and there's still another week before grown up land takes over my mid-week hikes. I did this hike in 2017 days before the fires blasted through the area. I remember it being so lush and green and the waterfalls all being larger than life (especially Fairy Falls). It was a more stark but still lovely experience this time around. I started at the Wahkeena trailhead and went counter-clockwise (opposite direction of Multnomah falls). You start with a three-tiered waterfall and then walk along cascading water as you switchback your heart out. I actually loved the switchbacks. They were short and steep like a fast beat. Then you veer away from the water features for a bit and hike through the forest. Then the forest opens up to large swaths of burned trees. I chatted with a local hiker who said this was the first year since the fires that they've had flowers or berries. Nice talking to you, Derrick! I adored every part of this trail until I hit the upper and lower viewpoints of Multnomah Falls. The people were friendly and curteous. It was the volume and it wasn't even a full lot. I will do this hike again one day, but I'll make it an out and back, making the last low rambling water feature my turn around point. Alltrails said I did 5.8 miles with 1,700 ft elevation gain. This is trail #420 and there is great signage throughout. Happy trekking!

Two quick warnings: there is poison oak on the switchbacks at Multnomah Falls. I wouldn't lean or tread into any greenery in that area. Stay on the paved trail. Also, the wind was about 15-20 mph and that was enough to break branches in loud cracks. A few landed right at my feet. 

Well taken care of, recently maintained, narrow in places.

free of obstacles. less crowded first thing in the morning.

Did a nice ~6 mile loop on a misty day. We didn't realize there was a race going on, so it was a busy for a little bit but then cleared out. We only saw a couple groups more than a mile from the trailheads. This loop was based on the AllTrails Wahkeena Falls Loop, but starting from the Multnomah Falls parking side, because we wanted to hit that part before it got too busy.

I really enjoyed the upper section above Multnomah and thought it was better than Multnomah. There are tons of little and big waterfalls up there! On both the Multnomah side and the Wahkeena you go through really cool gorges as you follow the creeks. They are connected by a nice, but not as exciting trail connecting the two. We got a few glimpses of snow frosted trees from the connector trail and saw a few spots with a dusting of snow, but nothing on the trail. The Multnomah Creek gorge was more rocky with some glimpses of the Columbia Gorge on the climb up and had more waterfalls. The Wahkeena side had more moss and a wetter feel. I loved them both! 

The trail was in great shape except for one spot where some tree roots lifted a big piece. For better or worse the trail is paved for about the first mile on either side, which is most of the elevation gain/loss, so it can be a bit hard on the joints. On the Multnomah side there are signs counting off the switchbacks which made me laugh (ie. 1 of 11). There are a couple water crossing, but they were pretty easy. One had a log bridge and the others were just rock hopping or walking through a couple inches of water. It was nice to have poles since it was wet, but they weren't really needed. 

Multnomah has restrooms with warm water. On a misty cool Sunday there was plenty of parking when we got here a little before 8AM. We left around noon and there was still space but it was much busier. 

Wahkeena-Multnomah falls loop is an Oregon-side classic hike for a reason. Wandered upstream toward Larch Mountain once hitting the Multnomah Creek junction for an easy 6.5 miles and around 2000' elevation gain. 

Started around 8am parking at Wahkeena, before entry permit enforcement begins, and hiked counter-clockwise up Wahkeena first, coming down the Multnomah Falls paved trail. Nearly no people on the Wahkeena section beyond the waterfall in the first 1/4 mile, and then many crowds once hitting the pavement at the top of Multnomah Falls.