Oregon Hikers

Visited Steelhead Falls Monday 6/22/2020, Arrived at 7:30am (we were the first cars in the day use area). Parking here is enough for 10+ cars, I did not see any handicap parking and would not recommend for handicap, as nothing is paved. Road in turns to gravel less than a mile from the TH. Follow the gravel road till you see the TH (the first one you see is Steelhead Falls). There are more trail options (5 miles of trails that are easier) to the south. There is one vaulted toilet here. There is also free BLM camping available (pull in spots and a flat area for walk in tents). No parking fee.

Information kiosk at the beginning of the trail. From the TH to the falls is only 1.8 miles round-trip. The trail is a bit rough, due to a hail storm that happened May 2020. The trail is open while they are working on repairs. The area is beautiful and worth a visit if you're in the area. The falls are not as big as I was expecting. We hiked past the falls a bit, till the trail started to disappear. Beautiful trees, canyons and flowers blooming.

2.16 miles with 179ft elevation gain.

We saw 6 people on the trail on the way out, with 4 other cars in the day use area. Lots of trash on the trail and in the parking area (we picked up any trash we saw). Remember; pack it in, pack it out and leave the trails better than you found them.

What kind of flower is that, and are those moths or butterflies?

They are moths. The plant is showy milkweed (Asclepias speciosa), well-known as a primary food source for monarch butterflies.

Thank you.

The Steelhead Falls trailhead is a fairly short drive from Smith Rock State Park.
I found the fish passage on the east side of Steelhead Falls to be an interesting feature from the days before Pelton and Round Butte Dams.