Addition to the Multnomah Falls Guide

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BGcoder
Posts: 1
Joined: December 7th, 2022, 11:11 am

Addition to the Multnomah Falls Guide

Post by BGcoder » December 7th, 2022, 11:15 am

I thought this may be useful to add to he Multnomah Falls guide. There is a site that tracks how busy the parking lot currently is as well as shows the days and times that are least busy. As someone who has had to head back and find the shuttle because the lot was packed I appreciated being able to look before heading out.

https://howbusyismultnomahfalls.com

squidvicious
Posts: 525
Joined: May 11th, 2015, 8:41 pm
Location: Troutdale

Re: Addition to the Multnomah Falls Guide

Post by squidvicious » December 7th, 2022, 1:01 pm

I took a look at that site, and honestly I think it would just add to the confusion for most people.

It briefly mentions a timed ticket entry, which is probably the most important thing to know during the permit season, but you have to read closely to see it, and the information that's on there now is not so much confusing as just wrong. Plus, at a glance, it suggests that the parking lot is never more than about a quarter full. You have to see and understand the note that the averages unhelpfully include the overnight hours, when there's no one there.

With the permit system, warnings about overcrowding are less critical than they were (I see permit info actually replaced the warning in the field guide), but it can still get pretty full on the weekends. I think you make a fair point that it's still worth emphasizing the problem in the field guide, but I'm not convinced that site is the best way. Putting back something like what it used to say about going in the early morning or late afternoon and avoiding weekends and holidays covers what people really need to know. Throw in a link to the ODOT camera on the parking lot if you want to go all out, so people can check current conditions for themselves.

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