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Columbia River Gorge:

Waterfall city

Lush rain forest and waterfalls

The gorge began forming in the Miocene Era, roughly 12 to 17 million years ago, and continued developing through the Pleistocene, 700,000 to 2 million years ago. During this episode the Cascades Range formed, which slowly pushed the Columbia River's delta about 100 miles (160 km) north to its current location. Although the river slowly eroded the land over this time, the most drastic changes took place at the end of the last Ice Age when the Missoula Floods cut the steep and dramatic walls of the gorge.

Today massive waterfalls and lush rain forest will embrace you at the Columbia River Gorge. They are not the biggest cascades in the world: that honor falls to Southern Africa's Victoria Falls with Brazil and Argentina's Iguassu Falls coming a close second. Nor are they the most celebrated falls in the USA: that honor goes to the Niagara Falls. However, for sheer beauty and accessibility the water falls at the Columbia River Gorge are right up there.

Most of the cascades at the Columbia River Gorge are accessible via hiking. It is spectacular walking through lush green rain forest. There are hikes for everyone there. From short flat meanders to steep long climbs to the top of the falling water sources.

Here is a list of the waterfalls at the Columbia River Gorge: Bridal Veil Falls, Dutchman Falls, Elowah Falls, Fairy Falls, Gorton Creek Falls, Hole In The Wall Falls, Horsetail Falls, Lancaster Falls, Latourell Falls, Loowit Falls, Lower Oneonta Falls, Lower Punch Bowl Falls, Metlako Falls, Middle Oneonta Falls, Multnomah Falls, Munra Falls, Ponytail Falls, Punch Bowl Falls, Shepperds Dell Falls, Skoonichuk Falls, Starvation Creek Falls, Tenas Falls, Triple Falls, Tunnel Falls, Upper McCord Creek Falls, Wah Gwin Gwin Falls, Wahclella Falls, Wahkeena Falls, Weisendanger Falls

If you do not see the Columbia River Gorge before you leave this planet you will have missed the time of your life.


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