Abiqua Falls Hike
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
This page is marked as a Closed Hike. Some or all of this hike has been closed by a governing body and hikers may be liable for fines or even arrest. At least part of this route may be dangerous and hard to follow, or it may cross areas with sensitive plant life or wildlife habitat. Trailkeepers of Oregon does not endorse or recommend hiking this route. When restrictions are lifted, this notice will be removed. |
- Start point: Abiqua Falls Trailhead
- End point: Abiqua Falls
- Trail Log: Trail Log
- Hike Type: Out and back
- Distance: 0.8 miles
- Elevation gain: 180 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Seasons: Year-round
- Family Friendly: No
- Backpackable: No
- Crowded: No
Contents |
Hike Description
NOTICE: Trails in this area were affected by the 2020 Beachie Creek Fire. Please check on current closures with the Oregon Department of Forestry before planning an outing.
NOTE: People have fallen here, most recently in March 2017. The slope is steep and can be treacherous in wet conditions. Please use extreme caution. See map for the best route down to the creek. Also keep in mind that this is private property owned by the Mt. Angel Abbey and Longview Timberlands. They have generously allowed the public to have access here.
Abiqua Falls is part of the same geological formation as the waterfalls at Silver Falls State Park, and in fact is not far from there as the crow flies (although significantly longer in distance when going by road). It is completely unsigned, and the trail is a bit rough, but it's worth it.
From the parking area at the gate, walk back along the road in the direction you came from. Skip the first rough trail that leaves right from the end of the parking area. Look down the hill on your right after about 100 feet and you'll see a second trail dropping down through the trees. The first few steps are on a steep slope skirting a roadside maple. Take this a short distance to where it curves left (the right branch immediately takes you to an open area at an old road). Continue dropping steeply down the hill for 0.2 miles until you reach the creek.
Turn left upstream along the creek, following a rough trail for another 0.2 mile or so. You will have to climb over and around rocks and logs, but it can be done. During periods of high water, you'll need to climb a steep slope to get around some logs, but during low water, it's easier to walk on the exposed river rock for much of the distance. The trail ends at the huge basalt bowl where Abiqua Falls plunges into a very big splash pool. There is a large rocky area jutting out into the pool from which you can admire the falls, or walk over the mossy rocks to the left around the edge of the bowl.
Return the way you came.
Maps
- Maps: Hike Finder
Trip Reports
- Search Trip Reports for Abiqua Falls
Related Discussions / Q&A
- Search Trail Q&A for Abiqua Falls
Guidebooks that cover this hike
- Day Hikes in the Pacific Northwest by Don J. Scarmuzzi
- Afoot & Afield Portland/Vancouver by Douglas Lorain
- 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington by William L. Sullivan
- Wild in the Willamette edited by Lorraine Anderson with Abby Phillips Metzger
Contributors
- justpeachy (creator)