Multnomah Falls drops about two hundred metres in two main tiers, and it is the most visited natural site in Oregon, which tells you what to expect from the car park. The classic stone lodge stands at the bottom, the arched footbridge spans the lower pool, and a path zigzags up to a viewing point above it. From a motorcycle seat you cannot see the whole thing at once, so the usual routine is to park, take off your jacket and walk the few minutes to the base.
Getting here is half the point. The old highway meanders past Latourell and Bridal Veil, each with its own waterfall, before reaching this one, and the road is at its most enjoyable on those stretches: tight, tree-lined, fenced by mossy stone walls and mostly shaded. Heavy rains can send rocks or branches onto the pavement, so keep an eye on the surface. The modern interstate runs just below, and motorcycles can drop onto it if time is short, but the old road is plainly the better ride.
The falls are fed by springs and snowmelt from Larch Mountain above, and the flow is strongest in winter and spring and weakest in late summer. Local legend, as told for generations, ties the falls to a Native American maiden who sacrificed herself for her people; whatever its origin, it is part of the place. The lodge and visitor services are right by the car park, with food and restrooms, though it gets busy at midday and long queues on summer weekends are normal.
Troutdale to the west and the gorge towns to the east are the reliable places to refill. Plan the day around the crowds if you can: arriving before nine or after late afternoon gives you the falls with room to breathe, and the cooler evening air in the gorge, with the mist rising off the lower tier, is the nicest time to be on foot here.