Oneonta Gorge

Just east of Multnomah Falls [1], Oneonta Gorge is a narrow chasm cut into a thick basalt flow by Oneonta Creek. Walls more than 100 feet high arch over the stream, the cliff walls sometimes just 20 feet apart. This peculiar ecosystem, preserved as Oneonta Gorge Botanical Area, is home to a number of rare cliff-dwelling plants that thrive in this moist shadowy chasm.

There’s no room along the sheer walls of Oneonta Gorge for a trail, but for those unperturbed by the thought of wet sneakers, the shallow stream can be waded for about 0.5 miles to Oneonta Falls, where Oneonta Creek drops 75 feet into the gorge.