Perdition Trail

"Once upon a time there was a lower trail be-stepped with stairways between Multnomah and Wahkeena Falls, but this "angel" has "fallen" into disrepair. The devout pray for resurrection..."

"Beyond this point for a distance of about one-fourth mile there are several bluffs which permit good views of the Bonneville Dam, the Columbia River, and Multnomah Falls Lodge directly below. A noteworthy part of this trail is the many wooden stairways that traverse up and down the steeper slopes. These have been provided to prevent erosion which would result from the heavy erosion which would result from the heavy usage the trail receives."

These stairways were actually constructed to keep hikers safe on the steep slopes. Especially the under-equipped and inexperienced tourists that flood this trail system nowadays... Some of the trails described in the Lowes' 1969 guide would actually be considered climbs, not hikes, in today's books!

I only mention this to re-iterate... Don't go there! Plus, the rubble from the repeatedly destroyed stairways adds to the difficulty of this trail, as well.

I will add more on the history of this trail soon, including the repeated destruction of the stairs.

To my knowledge, there are no current plans to re-open this trail anytime soon.

"The Forest Service attempted to build for the future after a 1991 fire burned several flights of wooden stairs. Unfortunately, the next natural calamity was water, not fire. The cement stairs slid into the canyon and the trail has been closed ever since."

"Shady Creek is a pretty much ignored and forgotten creek right in the middle of Oregon's tourist mecca. It flows under this bridge on the Perdition Trail, drops in the Multnomah Falls Amphitheater forming Shady Creek Falls, then flows under the paved Larch Mountain Trail [Trail to Benson Bridge] near all of the protective slide fencing. This bridge, on the closed Perdition Trail, is no longer maintained and may be unsafe."

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