FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions

Congestion and safety concerns have been increasing over the last few years, and this pilot project aims to reduce the amount of congestion to ensure all visitors have a good experience while visiting federal lands along the corridor. This pilot will allow shuttles and transit to run more reliably, while ensuring all visitors are able to come to the Waterfall Corridor to hike, take in the scenery, and enjoy nature while reducing the impacts from high visitation demand and overcrowding at popular parking lots.

All personal vehicles using the Waterfall Corridor along Historic Columbia River Highway to access federal lands will need a Waterfall Corridor Timed Use Permit between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from just east of the Bridal Veil off-ramp from I-84 (Exit 28) to Ainsworth State Park (Exit 35) from May 24 to Sept. 5, 2022. If you’re traveling by bike, tour bus or by transit, no permit is needed. Angel’s Rest Trailhead and Bridal Veil State Scenic Viewpoint are not within the permit area. 

This in-person permit from the Visitor Center or Historical Museum is only valid for using your personal vehicle to travel along the Waterfall Corridor to federal lands. If you can find an open, marked parking space along the Waterfall Corridor, you can park and visit any site. Parking near Multnomah Falls is popular and spots are not guaranteed. To visit Multnomah Falls using I-84 Exit 31 in your personal vehicle, a separate permit is required and must be purchased online. Go to Multnomah Falls Timed Use Permits. 

Visiting​ Multnomah Falls is easy and direct via tour buses and public transit. 

Depending on how far you want to ride, you can bike to the Waterfall Corridor or take transit with your bike close to where you want to start your ride. View a bike map. There are limited places outside of and within the Waterfall Corridor to park and begin your ride, such as the Toothrock Trailhead or Bridge of the Gods Trailhead to the east.

Columbia Area Transit's buses run every 30 minutes from the Gateway Transit Center in Portland and from Hood River seven days a week with stops in Troutdale, Cascade Locks and at Multnomah Falls. CAT buses are equipped with three bike racks. Once bike racks are full, no more bicycles can be accommodated. 

If you have a permit, once you arrive, you can stay as long as you like. Parking is not guaranteed. You will not be able to leave the Waterfall Corridor and then re-enter the permit area with the same permit.

Between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department staff will be at the two check-in points off I-84 just east of the Bridal Veil off-ramp (Exit 28) and Ainsworth State Park (Exit 35) and will ask to see your permit. Permits picked up at the Gateway to the Gorge Visitor Center, or Cascade Locks Historical Museum, or a printed or digital copy of a permit obtained online are valid. Once you check-in, you do not need to display your permit. Come on the day listed on your permit, stay as long as you would like. Permits will not be checked when leaving the corridor. 

Permits accessing federal lands adjacent to the Waterfall Corridor are per vehicle, not per person. You only need one permit per vehicle. 

This permit allows you to use your personal​ vehicle to access federal lands adjacent to the Waterfall Corridor. Oregon State Parks and U.S. Forest Service sites in the Waterfall Corridor do not require parking permits. Parking is not guaranteed anywhere along the Waterfall Corridor. Only park in marked parking spots.

Your personal (or rented) car or motorcycle is a personal vehicle, including vans and pickups. Ride-sharing vehicles such as Uber and Lyft are also considered personal vehicles. Recreational vehicles and trailers are also personal vehicles, but must be less than 35 feet long to safely navigate the winding, narrow highway. 

Columbia Area Transit provides bus service to the Gorge! Stops include Gateway Transit Center, Troutdale, Multnomah Falls, Cascade Locks and Hood River. ​

Sasquatch Shuttle pricing begins at $15 per person for all day shuttle service with on and off privileges.

Gray L​ine Waterfall Trolley tours begin at $21​ per person for all day hop on and off service at one of the nine stops for some sightseeing, exploring or a hike.

If you have a campground reservation at Ainsworth State Park, you do not need a separate permit; your camping reservation serves as a permit.

Permits are required between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., seven days a week between May 24 and Sept. 5, 2022. But there are options:

• Leave your car at home and take public transit (Columbia Area Transit), including service from Gateway Transit Center in Portland, Cascade Locks, and Hood River. 
• Take a tour: Sasquatch Shuttle and Gray Line Waterfall Trolley service the Waterfall Corridor with hop-on, hop-off shuttles. 
• Get out into that fresh air and ride your bike along the route. 
• Modify the timing of your trip to before or after the permit times and peak visitation (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). 
• Plan your visit to the Waterfall Corridor prior to Memorial Day and after Labor Day, when there is less visitation demand.