North Fork Smith-Kentucky Falls Bike and Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: North Fork Smith Trailhead
- End point: Kentucky Falls Trailhead
- Hike type: Loop (with bike)
- Distance: 17 miles
- Elevation gain: 3200 feet
- High point: 2,450 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: All year
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: Yes
- Crowded: Only on the Kentucky Falls Trail section
Contents |
Description
Riding a bike allows you to enjoy a loop to the wonderful old-growth forest on the North Fork Smith River as well as the waterfalls on the Kentucky Falls Trail. About 8.5 to 10 miles of this hike is done on foot. The remaining distance is a return trip on bicycle.
Begin by stashing a bicycle near the Kentucky Falls Trailhead or about here on FR 919 if you'd like to avoid riding up hill. After concealing a bike and locking it to a tree, drive to the North Fork Smith Trailhead.
Follow the North Fork Smith River Trail #1351 north through old-growth forest with large Douglas-fir, western red-cedar and big-leaf maple. At 1.6 miles, you'll cross the North Fork Smith River on a new bridge. At 3.7 miles, you'll come to the second bridge crossing of the North Fork. (The two bridges, installed in 2018, replace older ones damaged by flooding.) The trail passes a few campsites as it continues another 3.5 miles to the junction with the Kentucky Falls Trail, sometimes travelling near the creek and other times far above it.
Stop and enjoy the scenery at North Fork Falls and Lower Kentucky Falls before hiking 1.3 miles to Upper Kentucky Falls. After another .75 miles, you'll arrive at the Kentucky Falls Trailhead. From here, the paved road is up hill for a little less than two miles. Retrieve your bike and ride back to the North Fork Smith Trailhead on Roads 919 and 23.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- No fee
- Toilet and picnic table at Kentucky Falls Trailhead
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- GPX of entire loop
- Kentucky Falls Trails (USFS)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Siuslaw National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Oregon Central Coast
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for North Fork Smith-Kentucky Falls Bike and Hike
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for North Fork Smith-Kentucky Falls Bike and Hike
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- 75 Hikes in Oregon's Coast Range & Siskiyous by Rhonda & George Ostertag
- 100 Hikes: Oregon Coast by William L. Sullivan
More Links
- North Fork Smith Trail #1351 (USFS)
- Kentucky Falls Trail #1376 (USFS)
- Kentucky Falls (wanderingyuncks)
- Kentucky Falls & North Fork Smith River Trail Hike (Oregon Wild)
- North Fork Smith Trail, Oregon (Briminnie)
- North Fork Smith River Trail (Cascade Ramblings)
- North Fork Smith Trail to Kentucky Falls (All Trails)
- Kentucky Corridor (Eugene Magazine)
- "Oregon's most spectacular Coast Range trail system reopens" (Statesman Journal)
- North Fork Smith River (Western Rivers Conservancy)
- Upper/Lower Kentucky Falls (Oregon Waterfalls)
- Lower Kentucky Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
- North Fork Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
- Upper Kentucky Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
Page Contributors
- kaltbluter (creator)