Revision as of 20:24, 18 July 2018

Valley of the Giants Trailhead (bobcat)

Private road sign on the way to the trailhead (bobcat)

Falls on the Little Luckiamute River, Falls City (bobcat)

Little Luckiamute River, Falls City (bobcat)

• Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
• Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
• Latitude, Longitude: 44.93632, -123.71554
• Elevation: 1335 feet
• Driving time from Portland: 155 minutes

Hikes starting here

• Valley of the Giants Loop Hike   (TH | <—   —> | LOG)

Driving Directions

Here follows one of the most convoluted approaches to a trailhead you will ever endure:

To Falls City from Portland:

Drive I-5 south to Exit 260A for Highway 99E Business and the Salem Parkway.

Go 4.7 miles, following the Salem Parkway towards the City Center.

At a traffic light, continue straight for Highway 22W. In 0.2 miles, go right on Marion Street for West Salem, Dallas, and Highway 22W.

After 0.4 miles, keep left on the Willamette River Bridge for the Oregon Coast and Dallas.

Go 9.7 miles on Highway 22, and turn left for Highway 223 and Dallas.

Go 4.1 miles and turn left on Main Street for the City Center and Kings Valley.

After 0.8 miles, go right on Washington Street for Falls City and Kings Valley.

In 0.4 miles, bear left on Fairview Avenue for Falls City, Pedee, and Kings Valley.

Drive 5.3 miles and turn right onto Falls City Road for Falls City.

Drive 4.4 miles to the bridge over the Little Luckiamute River in Falls City.

To the waterfall in Falls City:

Turn right after the bridge onto Parry Street and go 0.1 miles to pull out on the right near the fenced viewpoint area.

Continuing to the Valley of the Giants:

From the bridge in Falls City, drive 4.5 miles to a Y junction (The road becomes gravel after 0.6 miles, and after 1.6 miles you will pass a gate and the first of many private road signs).

Drive 14.4 miles on the main road to a gravel circle and road junction.

• Keep straight if the yellow gate is open (You will need to detour if it is not; usually this gate is open if there is active gravel pit activity on the detour).

• Drive 1.2 miles through the old logging town site of Valsetz, now overgrown with planted trees.

• Reach an open area with some old foundations and go right to continue along the South Fork Siletz River for another 1.3 miles before bearing left to cross the river on a bridge and come to a junction, where you turn right.

OR

• Detour: If the yellow gate is not open, go left and cross a small bridge to come to a junction.

• After 0.2 miles come to a junction and go right on Pond Road.

• Keep right after 0.7 miles.

• After 2.4 miles after driving above the sea of alders and young conifers that have sprouted in the drained bed of Valsetz Lake, come to a Y junction at a large marshy area.

• Go right here and drive 1.6 miles, passing through a quarry area, to a junction near a bridge over the South Fork Siletz. Keep straight here to follow the directions below.

Drive 3.3 miles along the south bank of the river to a junction, where you bear right and recross the South Fork Siletz.

After 0.5 miles, come to a junction and go right (uphill) on Road 100.

In 0.3 miles, keep left on Road 100.

After another 0.3 miles, stay left after crossing a bridge.

Drive 1.1 miles and keep left at a junction, driving next to the North Fork Siletz River (The potholes along this stretch are deeper, so drive slowly).

Go another 3.1 miles to a junction, and keep left on BLM Road 7-8-32 (You are now on public lands).

The road crosses the North Fork Siletz and rises for 1.5 miles to a junction.

Go right here and drive downhill for 0.5 miles to the gravel pullout on the right. This is the Valley of the Giants Trailhead.

Here are the Bureau of Land Management directions to the site.

Other Notes

• Before visiting, call the Salem office of the BLM (503 375-5646) to get information about closures and directions
• Better to visit on weekends as there is intense logging activity in the area
• Roads usually closed during fire season (August through November)
• Roads are hard packed gravel with some potholes; high clearance not needed - O.K. for sturdy passenger cars
• Information kiosk at the trailhead
• Picnic table near the beginning of the loop
• Stay on the trail

Page Contributors

• bobcat (creator)