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If you’re planning to visit the many waterfalls, State Parks, and trails along Oregon’s famed, Waterfall Corridor, and you intend to drive, you’re going to need a permit.

The Historic Columbia River Highway (aka, Waterfall Corridor) is a narrow, two lane road that allows visitors easy access to the multiple natural attractions in the area.

The problem is, during the busy summer months, this road has been known to experience heavy traffic congestion. On top of that, parking is nearly impossible to find.

Due to this, the Oregon Department of Transportation decided to implement a vehicle access permit system this year in an effort to reduce the amount of vehicles on the road at a time.

In order to help make your visit go as smoothly as possible, we wrote this comprehensive guide to bring you all the information you’ll need to either get a permit or avoid it all together.

Permit Information

Oregon waterfall corridor permit checkpoints.

How To Get A Permit, Dates, & Cost

*Official information is a bit scarce at the moment. This article will present current information provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation. As more information gets released, it will be added to this article.

A permit will be required for anyone planning to drive on the Historic Columbia River Highway between May24th and September 5th, 2022, between the hours of 9am and 6pm.

Thus far, no details have been given as to going about obtaining one.

However, considering permits for other area attractions like Multnomah Falls are obtained through Recreation.gov, one could assume that will be case here as well.

As far as cost goes, a representative of the Oregon DOT was quoted as saying, “we anticipate the fee to be around $2”. This will be per vehicle, not per person.

So while not set in stone, the fee is likely to be low and to simply cover the operational costs.

Checkpoint Locations

Per the Oregon DOT, there will be checkpoints at:

Exit #28 near Bridal Veil Falls
Exit #35 near Ainsworth State Park

For context, Bridal Veil Falls is on the west side of this area with Ainsworth State Park being on the east side.

At these checkpoints is where you’ll present your timed permit. You can either show a printed copy or the digital version on your mobile device.

On your permit will be a specific time for you to enter. You will NOT be granted access prior to that time. You can, however, stay for however long you like.

*Also, you will only be able to come through one time. Once you exit through one of the checkpoints, you will NOT be able to re-enter.

*If you accidentally leave, you’ll either need another valid permit or come back after 6pm.

What To Do If You Don’t Have A Permit

The whole point to this program is reduce traffic and its impact on the Gorge. Implementing the permit system allows for the number of vehicles along the highway to be reduced.

To assist in this goal, there are other ways you can visit the Waterfall Corridor without needing to worry about obtaining a permit.

They are:

Taking part in an organized tour
Utilizing one of the various shuttles that service the Gorge.
Park at or near Vista House and use a bicycle to get around.
Arrive by vehicle BEFORE 9am or AFTER 6pm.

One thing to keep in mind that walking along the Historic Highway is not an option. The road is simply too narrow and dangerous for pedestrians.

A few of the notable shuttle companies that service the Gorge are; Sasquatch Shuttle, Columbia Gorge Express, and Explore the Gorge.

*Having a permit only guarantees access. It DOESN’T guarantee parking. It would be wise to at least consider taking a shuttle in.

A rustic sign along the Historic Columbia River Highway in Oregon.

Attractions Affected (and not affected)

This may be your first time to the beautiful stretch of road and you may not know which attractions are and are not affected by this.

Below is a list of the most popular attractions that you will NOT be able to drive to without obtaining a permit:

Bridal Veil Falls (read our post about this waterfall, here)
Angel’s Rest hiking trail
Wahkeena Falls (read our post about this waterfall, here)
Multnomah Falls (requires a permit of its own)
Oneonta Gorge (currently closed)
Horsetail Falls
Ainsworth State Park

That said, there are multiple attractions you can still visit even if you don’t have a vehicle permit. Some of the most popular ones are:

Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint
Vista House
Latourell Falls
Elowah Falls
Upper McCord Creek Falls
Wahclella Falls
Bridge of the Gods

As you can see, there is still plenty to see. So if you weren’t able to get a permit, spend time at these and then make your way to the others after 6pm.

Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

Multnomah Falls Permit

There are two parking lots at Multnomah Falls; a small one right across the street along the Historic Highway and a second, large one off I-84.

If you manage to snag a spot in the smaller lot, then your vehicle permit will be the only one you’ll need.

Chances are though, you’ll need to park in the larger lot. If so, you’ll need a timed reservation in order to visit Multnomah.

We wrote a comprehensive guide on visiting Multnomah Falls. It covers their timed reservation policy, hiking trails, and more! Check it out here.

The Parking Situation

As stated above, your timed permit to access the Historic Highway doesn’t guarantee you a parking spot at any of the above attractions.

With the exception of the large lot at Multnomah, the parking lots at the waterfalls are small. Even with the permit system in place, available parking will be scarce.

To save yourself the hassle, you may want to consider taking part in a tour or taking a shuttle in.

A Quick Note…

We’re often asked about the equipment we use to capture the photos on our website. Below, we’ve added Amazon links to those products and others that we recommend.

If you decide to purchase, Amazon will pay us a small commission. This helps us keep Inked with Wanderlust running and doesn’t cost you anything extra.