Three Pools
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes including this location:
- Little North Santiam Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 44.8385, -122.3097
- Elevation: 1390 feet
Description
The pellucid swimming holes at Three Pools have become a major summer attraction, so much so that a 90-car parking lot (Northwest Forest Pass required) was constructed to accommodate the hordes. It is forbidden to park anywhere but the parking lot within half a mile of Three Pools, so when it gets full, you'll need to go somewhere else. Summer use inevitably brings in trash, loose dogs, and shards of broken glass in the river.
The quieter side of Three Pools is the south bank of the Little North Santiam. Nine months of the year, you can hike this trail and enjoy a pleasant experience. There's a craggy rock pillar in the middle of the river, unfortunately adorned with climbing ropes, and a marvelous grotto with two mouths in the cliffs near the pillar.
Nearby, just off FR 2207, are the Pearl Creek Guard Station and the Shady Cove Campground.
More Links
- Three Pools Day Use Area (USFS)
- Three Pools (Outdoor Project)
- Swim at Three Pools (The Outbound Collective)
- Three Pools | Opal Creek Wilderness – Cascades (Oregon Discovery)
- "New rules at Three Pools and Opal Creek enter second season in Little North Canyon" (Statesman Journal)
- Shady Cove Campground (USFS)
Contributors
- bobcat (creator)