Cleaning Up Multnomah Falls

Multnomah Falls, OR.

On Sunday, May 1st, we joined Mt. Hood Search and Rescue at Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon to celebrate Earth Day. What better way to give back to nature than to spend a few hours cleaning up trash around the falls! Multnomah Falls is the second highest continuously running waterfall in the country and receives over 2 million visitors annually. With an estimated 10,000 visitors on Sunday alone, this beautiful recreation area is a popular destination for folks from Portland and the surrounding area.

With so many people coming to enjoy the falls, it is imperative people practice Leave No Trace to preserve the quality and integrity of the resource. In the photo below, the search and rescue team returned with copious amounts of trash, including a skateboard!

At our booth, we wowed visitors with statistics on how long items of trash will take to biodegrade in the environment if we do not dispose of waste properly. Consistently people were amazed by the fruit peels (2 years) and the aluminum can (80 years). We encouraged people to Pack It In- Pack It Out whenever they are recreating on lands shared by the public. Every day is Earth Day!

Explore Responsibly...Kate & Tracy