Columbia Gorge, OR

Described as the top man-made marvel in Oregon, Benson Bridge is the footbridge that traverses Multnomah Creek between the two cascades of Multnomah Falls.

The bridge was proposed by Samuel Lancaster who was a lead engineer and architect for the Columbia River Highway. One day while out at the site with Simon Benson, Lancaster remarked to the wealthy Portland lumberman and good roads enthusiast that it would “be nice if there were a footbridge across the lower waterfall, with a path up to and across it so that visitors could…look up at that magnificent waterfall above, then without moving look down on the lower one into the pool below.” Benson asked what it might cost, and Lancaster calculated the figures on the back of an envelope. Benson then wrote out a check for the amount and directed Lancaster to build it. The resulting footbridge is a 45′-0″ reinforced-concrete deck arch, 105′ above the lower Multnomah Falls. The location provides a spectacular view of the upper falls. Benson later purchased nearly 1,000 acres along the Columbia River, including 140 acres around Multnomah Falls which he gave to Portland for a city park. The bridge that bears his name has served as a distinguishing characteristic of the falls since it was built in 1914 by the Pacific Bridge Company of Portland.