Columbia River Gorge (Multnomah)

The Multnomah Falls area places railfans remarkably close to Union Pacific's Portland Subdivision, a major Class I freight corridor running along the south bank of the Columbia River. Visitors reach the falls through a pedestrian tunnel that passes directly under both Interstate 84 and the UP tracks at I-84 Exit 31, emerging at the base of Oregon's tallest waterfall. From the paved area near the historic Multnomah Falls Lodge, trains pass at eye level just a short distance to the north. The single-track main line curves gently through the narrow gorge here, so approaching headlights and horn signals give several seconds of warning before a train rounds into view. Long intermodal stacks and unit grain trains can take two to three minutes to pass. Because the canyon walls are close together, locomotive exhaust and wheel noise echo dramatically — even a modest consist sounds like mountain railroading. The I-84 rest area parking lot offers an alternative vantage point on the north side of the tracks, where eastbound and westbound trains can be observed without the falls backdrop but with a clearer sightline up and down the corridor.

The Columbia River Gorge at Multnomah is a deep corridor cut through layers of Miocene-era Columbia River basalt. Steep canyon walls rise hundreds of feet on the Oregon side, draped in Douglas fir, western hemlock, and big-leaf maple that maintain a deep green canopy year-round. Multnomah Falls itself drops 620 feet in two major cascades — the upper plunge of 542 feet and a lower cascade of 69 feet, separated by the iconic Benson Bridge built in 1914. The elevation at track level sits near 100 feet above sea level, while the gorge rim towers far above. North across the river, the forested Washington shore rises steeply, with BNSF's Fallbridge Subdivision visible as a thin line hugging the far bank. The gorge acts as a natural wind tunnel, funneling Pacific air eastward, which can bring mist, fog, and gusts exceeding 30 mph even on otherwise calm days. This atmospheric drama — shifting light through fog, spray from the falls catching afternoon sun — makes the setting visually compelling in any season.

The UP Portland Subdivision carries approximately 22 to 30 freight trains daily through this section, predominantly eastbound and westbound. Traffic is overwhelmingly freight: unit grain trains bound for Pacific export terminals, unit soda ash from Wyoming, mixed manifest merchandise, and high-priority double-stack intermodal containers moving between Portland, Tacoma, Seattle, and Chicago-area hubs. The line is single track with passing sidings, which means meets between opposing trains create natural pauses and photo opportunities as one train holds while the other passes. Amtrak's Empire Builder does NOT use this track — it runs on BNSF's route along the north (Washington) bank of the river, so passenger train sightings on the UP side are limited to occasional inspection vehicles or special equipment moves. The Portland Subdivision was originally built by the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, with tracks through the gorge opening in 1882 and the through line east to Huntington completed by November 1884.

The premier shot combines a UP train in the foreground with Multnomah Falls cascading behind it. This is best captured from the paved area near the Lodge or from the I-84 rest area berm on the north side of the tracks, using a telephoto lens (135 to 200mm) to compress the train against the 620-foot waterfall. Late morning light (10 AM to noon) illuminates both the falls and westbound trains simultaneously. For a more elevated perspective, the trail toward Benson Bridge (when open) provides a higher vantage point looking down on the tracks, though the bridge itself has experienced periodic closures for repairs — check current status with the US Forest Service before planning this angle. The Historic Columbia River Highway pullouts west of the falls offer elevated positions above the tracks where a 70 to 200mm zoom captures long trains curving through the gorge with the river beyond. For eastbound trains, afternoon light from the west creates warm tones on locomotive noses. A polarizing filter helps cut glare from wet basalt and the river surface. In winter, low fog creates layered compositions where locomotives emerge from mist beneath the falls.

The railroad through the Columbia River Gorge on the Oregon side was a transformative infrastructure project of the 1880s. Henry Villard assembled the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company in 1880 and pushed tracks east through the gorge, overcoming enormous engineering challenges including fluctuating river levels, marshlands, and massive basalt ridges requiring tunnels. Tracks reached through the gorge by 1882, and the full through line to Huntington opened on November 11, 1884, connecting Portland to the transcontinental system and ending reliance on river steamboats and portage roads. The company later reorganized as the Oregon-Washington Railroad and Navigation Company in 1910 under Union Pacific's E.H. Harriman, and ultimately became part of UP's modern Portland Subdivision. Paralleling the tracks, the Historic Columbia River Highway — opened in 1916 and designed by engineer Samuel Lancaster — was the first designated scenic highway in the United States and the first major paved road in the Pacific Northwest. At the falls, the Multnomah Falls Lodge was built in 1925 in the Cascadian architectural style, designed by noted Portland architect A.E. Doyle using timber and every type of rock found in the Gorge, at a cost of $40,000.

Multnomah Falls stands 620 feet — significantly taller than Niagara Falls — and the UP main line passes directly at its base, creating what may be the most dramatic waterfall-and-railroad combination on any Class I railroad in North America. The pedestrian tunnel under both the interstate and the tracks gives visitors a safe, ADA-accessible way to reach a front-row position for both the falls and passing trains, with no remote hikes or questionable trespass required. The 1925 Lodge, the 1914 Benson Bridge, and the year-round US Forest Service staffing add infrastructure uncommon at railfan locations. The gorge itself hosts parallel railroads — UP on the Oregon shore and BNSF on the Washington shore — meaning on clear days you can watch trains on both sides of the river simultaneously. With over two million annual visitors, Multnomah Falls is the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, which means the railfan audience here is largely incidental tourists who discover the trains as a bonus.