PORTLAND, Ore. -- Crowds at Multnomah Falls were so large Sunday that the freeway exit to the tourist attraction was shut down temporarily.

The overload of visitors caused traffic to be backed up onto Interstate 84, forcing many drivers to find another way around the area. Authorities shut down the Multnomah Falls exit because lines of cars waiting to park were causing congestion.

Gaurav Bhatnagar, who was visiting from Seattle, said the high volume of visitors should be expected.

"(I'm) not surprised. It's what I expected, this being a Sunday," Bhatnagar said. "We were prepared for it. It's worth it because we've heard a lot about it. It's worth the wait."

Drivers not headed to Multnomah Falls were directed to use the Historic Columbia River Highway to get around the traffic.

The exit to the waterfall has since reopened.

Multnomah Falls Crowd Causes I-84 Exit To Close