More than two million people visit Multnomah Falls every year. In fact, it's the most-visited natural recreation site in the entire Pacific Northwest, and it's easy to see why. The 620-foot waterfall is not only the tallest in the state; it's also one of Oregon's most spectacular waterfalls.
While most folks ooh and awe over the waterfall, pretty much every photo of it includes an iconic, man-made feature: Benson Bridge. It rarely gets a mention, but it was an incredible feat of engineering, and we can't imagine Multnomah Falls without it.
You'll find Multnomah Falls along Interstate 84, in the Columbia River Gorge.
The waterfall is absolutely stunning, and one of the most-photographed spots in Oregon. While the waterfall is absolutely amazing, the bridge that sits between the two cascades of the waterfall is equally impressive, especially once you know its history.
Benson Bridge wasn't the first bridge to span the gap between the two basalt cliffs on either side of the waterfall. In 1888, the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company built a wooden truss bridge, but it quickly decayed. Despite a reinforcement in the early 1890s, it was completely gone by 1899.
In early 1914, Simon Benson was strolling the grounds around Multnomah Falls with Samuel Lancaster, the engineer responsible for building the Columbia River Highway. Simon mentioned that it would be very nice to have a footbridge spanning the middle of the falls.
Benson wondered what such a bridge would cost, so Samuel Lancaster did some quick figures on the back of an envelope. Benson wrote out a check on the spot, and hired Lancaster to build it.
The photo above shows tourists from New York standing on the observation deck below the bridge in 1916.
Benson Bridge was quite a feat of engineering. Built 135 feet in the air, workers had to scramble on their hands and knees up the side of a cliff to reach their building site.
The sub-contractor in charge of the project, Robert L. Ringer, put in an aerial trolley to hoist materials, built a wooden truss bridge to help suspend the concrete bridge, and risked life and limb to compete the project.
When the bridge was nearly completed, Simon Benson came by to have a look, and Ringer asked him if he could engrave his name in the concrete. Benson agreed, but when the bridge was done and Lancaster showed up, he was furious. He told Ringer to remove his name immediately. Robert Ringer was justifiably upset, so he covered up his name with some clay, which quickly wore away. The inscription is still visible on the bridge's deck.
Benson Bridge is 45 feet long. Its graceful arch is 105 feet above the lower Multnomah Falls.
The bridge is built of reinforced concrete, and it has stood the test of time.
Visitors can take a short trail up the hill to the bridge to get a close-up look at the falls.
Look down to see the roaring falls plunge off the cliff into the lower pool...
...and look up to see the top of the falls far above.
Winter, spring, summer, and fall, Benson Bridge is a stunning man-made feature that is part of almost every photo of Multnomah Falls. If you've never visited the bridge, make plans to do so!
Share your photos of Multnomah Falls and Benson Bridge with us in the comments! Multnomah Falls is managed by the USDA Forest Service, and you can learn more about it on the website here.
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