Toketee Falls Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Start point: Toketee Falls Trailhead
- Ending Point: Toketee Falls
- Hike Type: In and out
- Distance: 0.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 120 feet
- High Point: 2,460 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Seasons: Spring through fall
- Family Friendly: Yes
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: Yes
Contents |
Hike Description
Toketee Falls, a spectacular plunge into an amphitheater constructed of columnar basalt, is the best-known waterfall on the North Umpqua River. Two tiers are visible from the Toketee Falls Viewpoint, the 85-foot lower plunge and a 28-foot upper falls, with a third tier invisible to viewers up the narrow defile of giant potholes above the main falls. The lavas here formed three-quarters of a million years ago, issuing from vents north of Mount Bailey and now composing most of the outstanding structures of the upper North Umpqua. The trail to the falls involves a series of almost 200 steps along the side of the canyon, ending at the viewpoint platform above the chasm of the amphitheater.
At the parking area, you can inspect the large redwood penstock, spouting rainbow-enhanced fountains from small leaks, that conveys part of the North Umpqua from an upstream reservoir through a tunnel and down to a hydroelectric facility. Before the construction of the penstock in 1949, Toketee Falls was a much more formidable plunge during the rainy season, but the river flows are now regulated, making for an evenly sized waterfall all year.
Past the interpretive kiosk at the trailhead, the trail crosses a footbridge over a stream and enters an old-growth riverside forest of Douglas-fir, western hemlock, and western red-cedar, with vine maple spreading in the understory. The North Umpqua River flows through a boulder obstacle course to your left. Steps lead up pass a spur to a rocky lookout over the river. A fence protects visitors as you get higher, and there’s a viewpoint over big potholes carved by the river’s constant action. A long flight of steps takes you higher along the side of the canyon, and then the trail rises and drops before there’s another long section of stairs up to a view over the narrowing gorge. The route wraps around the slope and descends in another long flight to the viewpoint, a platform built around a Douglas-fir that offers a view over the columnar basalt amphitheater.
Spend time taking in the scene, a near-perfectly shaped plunge pool with caves under the basalt columns and the potholed descent of the North Umpqua to the lip of the lower 85-foot tier of Toketee Falls. (Toketee means ‘graceful’ or ‘pretty’ in Chinook jargon.) Above the platform, you may notice where the fence has been bent back so that scofflaws can descend the steep slope (there are usually fixed ropes here) to see the falls from below and take a dip in the pool. The fence is there for a reason, and the slope is horribly eroded from use, so please refrain from adding further to the destruction.
Fees, Regulations, etc.
- Dogs on leash
- Restrooms, picnic area, information kiosk, interpretive signs
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: North Umpqua Ranger District
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service: Umpqua National Forest
- Pacific Northwest Recreation Map Series: Land of Umpqua
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Toketee Falls Hike
- North Umpqua River
- Toketee Falls 10-23-17
- Crater Lake Snow camp + Toketee Falls, Umpqua HS
- 45 waterfalls on a three day weekend
- Toketee Falls 6/13/10
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Toketee Falls Hike
- Toketee Falls by Air
Guidebooks that cover this destination
- Hiking Waterfalls in Oregon by Adam Sawyer
- Waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest by David L. Anderson
- Waterfall Lover’s Guide: Pacific Northwest by Gregory A. Plumb
- The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Western Washington and Oregon by Syren Nagakyrie
- Hiking Southern Oregon by Art Bernstein & Victor Harris
- Hiking Oregon’s Southern Cascades and Siskiyous by Art Bernstein
- 100 Hikes/Travel Guide: Southern Oregon & Northern California by William L. Sullivan
- Trips & Trails: Oregon by William L. Sullivan
- 100 Classic Hikes in Oregon by Douglas Lorain
- Pacific Northwest Hiking by Craig Hill & Matt Wastradowski
- Best Hikes With Kids: Oregon by Bonnie Henderson & Zach Urness
- Best Hikes with Children: Western & Central Oregon by Bonnie Henderson
- Hiking Oregon’s Geology by Ellen Morris Bishop
- Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide by Chandra Le Gue
- Best Old-growth Forest Hikes: Washington & Oregon Cascades by John & Diane Cissel
- 50 Hikes in Oregon by David L. Anderson
- Oregon Hiking by Sean Patrick Hill
- Oregon’s Southern Cascades: Camping & Hiking by Tom Stienstra & Sean Patrick Hill
- Canine Oregon by Lizann Dunegan
More Links
- Toketee Falls Trail #1495 (USFS)
- Toketee Falls Trail (Oregon Wild)
- Toketee Falls (Share Oregon)
- Hike to Toketee Falls (The Outbound Collective)
- Toketee Falls (Outdoor Project)
- Exploring Toketee Falls, Oregon (Elite Jetsetter)
- Three Amazing Waterfall Hikes, One Hot Spring in the North Umpqua (What to Do in Southern Oregon)
- Toketee and Watson Falls (Oregon Adventures)
- Toketee Falls (All Trails)
- Toketee Falls (Northwest Waterfall Survey)
- Toketee Falls (World of Waterfalls)
Page Contributors
- bobcat (creator)