Suggestions for Oregon Waterfall Hikes

[AlexanderSupertramp]

Hello fellow Portland Hikers! I have just begun work on a guidebook about waterfall hikes in Oregon. I'm currently in the process of putting together a list of good waterfall hikes and I would love some input. I'm really familiar with the stuff within a 2 hour drive or so of Portland (i.e. Mt Hood and Gorge), but what's beyond?

What are some of your favorite Coast Range waterfall hikes? Eastern Oregon? Southern Cascades? If you have any waterfall hikes outside of the Portland area that really ring your bell, I'd love to know about it!

Thanks in advance,

Adam

[mcds]

rattlesnake falls in wa out by white salmon. not really a hike, but the drive is an adventure and it's gorgeous, plus at certain times of the year, the sun sets directly in the canyon downstream

[justpeachy]

University Falls in the Coast Range is quite pretty, although the hike is pretty short.

Chush Falls and Proxy Falls down in the Three Sisters area are pretty sweet.

There are a whole string of waterfalls east of Roseburg on Highway 138. My favorite is Toketee Falls.

[BrianEdwards]

Hey Adam,

I'll echo Cheryl's suggestion of the falls east of Roseburg. Shadow Falls is my favorite, it's very unique, has big trees, and it's atleast a mile each way.

Watson Falls is another one I like, being over 300 ft tall and you can walk right up to the base. It's impressive.

Tokeete is nice, but the deck could be further down by the water.

Salt creek falls is a good one off of hwy 58

Silver Falls/Golden falls is one of my favorites down in the central coast range. great family hike.


Shadow falls 7/3/2011

[forester]

Linton Falls (east of Eugene), without question, is the best waterfall I've seen with my own eyes. Everything else that I've actually seen is tied for 2nd. And that's not counting the upper 300' or so feet of Linton Falls (if you count it all as one), which really can't be easily seen. The trail to Linton Falls is also very entertaining.

Most of the waterfalls I've been to, the pictures of the fall sum up "being there" fairly accurately. With Linton Falls, when you're looking at a picture of it with someone who hasn't been there, you have an extra twinkle in your eye and a near-smirk.

Other good ones from down here that I've been to...

- Toketee (east of Roseburg, Hwy 138) is nice, though you can't see it from straight on and you're up a bit (there is a goat trail down to the river...haven't taken it yet, but it doesn't look all that tough...). The trail is nice enough. There is a faint, knee-shaking trail on the other side of the river from the real trail that used to allow a straight-on, unobstructed view of the falls, but a tree has grown up over the last 15 years and now completely blocks the falls. It definitely is not worth taking that trail any longer. Someone died right at that spot a year or so ago looking for a place to pee. The former viewpoint is hundreds of feet straight down/sheer drop on 3 sides. [I think I subconsciously blocked this trail out during the acrophobia thread, getting dizzy thinking about it]

- Fall Creek Falls (east of Roseburg, Hwy 138) has one of the best trails, but the falls aren't really that interesting. Great family hike.

- Susan Creek Falls (east of Roseburg, Hwy 138) is another lackluster waterfall with a nice trail, though not as nice as Fall Creek's.

- Upper Susan Creek Falls (east of Roseburg, Hwy 138) is spectacular, but partly sits on private land and there really isn't much of a trail to it.

- Wolf Creek Falls (east of Roseburg) is also nice and the trail is great.

- Flat Rock Falls (east of Roseburg) is a pair of super-tall, thin waterfalls about 200' apart, probably in the 300-400' height-range, but there isn't really a trail down to them (though I made it down and back once). 1000' elevation change over just .5 miles...You can see one of them from the car at a 1.25 miles distance, though.

- Moon Falls is nice, Spirit Falls is great, Pinard Falls is good. (all are East of Cottage Grove, Layng Creek area)

- Upper Trestle Creek Falls (east of Cottage Grove) is fantastic. The picture in the Forest Service brochure looks like someone peeing off a cliff, but when we went to it, the falls were rocking. Didn't get any pictures because I left the memory card at home. The trail to it is as good as I've seen and it loops around to Lower Trestle Creek Falls and along Brice Creek. I'm not a trail-loop kind of guy and I'd take this if there wasn't a destination point (i.e. - waterfall) at the end of it.

- Lost Creek Falls (Coast Range, west of Roseburg) is/was a top-notch place, but it was clear cut a few years ago and probably isn't even worth going to anymore.

- Grotto Falls (east of Roseburg) is a fine waterfall and there is a trail of sorts leading to a couple waterfalls above, one of which is strikingly beautiful.

- Lower East Fork Falls (west of Roseburg, East Fork of the Coquille) is a very underrated waterfall even though it sits immediately next to a road.

- South Umpqua Falls (east of Myrtle Creek) is certainly unique, but it's not a hike and it's barely a waterfall (super-sized slide fall).

There are some great waterfalls past Toketee/Watson (which is where a lot of people turn around) up Hwy 138, some more good ones by Diamond Lake, an amazing one by Crater Lake. As mentioned prior, Proxy Falls (both of them) are supposed to be outstanding, but I haven't found time on my Linton trips to swing in there. I haven't quite made it to the Devil's Staircase yet (one failed attempt), but it's not really a waterfall from what I understand.

You can find pictures/video and trip reports of most of those places I listed here.

[AlexanderSupertramp]

Hey thanks folks! VERY helpful and I greatly appreciate it

[ryanpatrickfrench]

So you probably do know about this waterfall but in case you don't Little Niagara Falls is probably the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen. In the same area big creek falls is also breathtaking. In central oregon linton falls, salt creek falls, bridge creek falls and marion falls. Other nice falls are, Abiqua falls, drift creek falls, moon falls, warm spring falls, and lemolo falls. All of Paulina creek and tumalo creek is great. The McKenzie River is gorgeous!Oh and proxy falls. Hope this helped!

[AlexanderSupertramp]

So you probably do know about this waterfall but in case you don't Little Niagara Falls is probably the most beautiful waterfall I have ever seen. In the same area big creek falls is also breathtaking. In central oregon linton falls, salt creek falls, bridge creek falls and marion falls. Other nice falls are, Abiqua falls, drift creek falls, moon falls, warm spring falls, and lemolo falls. All of Paulina creek and tumalo creek is great. The McKenzie River is gorgeous!Oh and proxy falls. Hope this helped!

Very much so, Ryan. Thank you!

[GoneHiking]

I just made my first trip to Sweet Creek Falls in the Coast Range near Mapleton (east of Florence). What an incredible place! There are a dozen or more waterfalls in the area and several trails that give you options for hiking and viewing. I highly recommend parking at the lower trail head (Homestead Trail) and walking up to Sweet Creek Falls. The larger Sweet Creek Falls was a bit of a disappointment at mid-summer flow compared to some of the smaller falls below it. The Punchbowl Canyon Falls are spectacular. Many of the falls have access below them, providing wonderful views for photography or nice areas to sit and contemplate flowing water. The only downside is that the trail seems to be quite popular (lots of hikers) even though it takes a bit of driving to get there. I plan on going back in the fall when the leaves have turned color and also would like to see the falls during winter or spring flows.
If you're traveling between Eugene and Florence on Hwy 126 make the 10.5 mile detour and take a short hike along Sweet Creek. You won't be disappointed.

[greglief]

Many of these have already been mentioned, but for what it's worth:

* Proxy
* Linton
* Upper Bridal Veil
* Devil's Staircase (but probably not worth putting in the book due to difficulty level and seasonal nature of water flow)
* Abiqua
* Henline
* Moon/Spirit/Pinard/Upper Trestle
* Yakso
* Fairy
* Oneonta (the REAL one)
* Elowah and Upper McCord
* Lemolo
* Toketee
* Watson
* National Creek
* Majestic and Royal Terrace (McDowell Creek County Park)
* Middle North and Lower South (Silver Falls SP)
* Upper/Lower Kentucky Falls (+ nearby North Fork Falls)
* University

Greg