The last post covered waterfalls I enjoy in southwestern Washington, mostly outside of the Columbia River Gorge, so now we move south of the River to waterfalls in the Coast Range of northwestern Oregon. Again, no way these lists are anything close to comprehensive and others may have other favorites. Plus, we have the two hour limit from Portland to help limit the waterfalling excursions. So, off we go to the Coast Range of Oregon to visit our first waterfalls. Links take you to the Northwest Waterfall Survey pages which give the waterfalls ratings 0-100. The highest rated waterfall in Oregon is Multnomah Falls with a rating of 89.92, so you have something to compare other waterfalls here to.

NORTH TO SOUTH

FISHHAWK FALLS

First on our tour, we head west from Portland into the Coast Range. Fishhawk Falls hides in plain sight along Oregon highway 202. Highway 202 brings you into Astoria through the backdoor, so to speak. The traffic is very light compared to US 30 and US 101, mostly because the highway is slow with lots of twists and turns. It was for awhile a route made very ugly by the extensive clear-cuts all along the road – Oregon 47 south from Clatskanie comes to mind in that regard – but reforestation is slowly doing its work to cover up what went before.

There are two Fishhawk Creeks in the immediate area. Do not set your sights on the Fishhawk Creek coming out of Fishhawk Lake ten-fifteen miles to the northeast of Fishhawk Falls. This other Fishhawk Creek also hides along Oregon 202 near the little hamlet of Birkenfeld. Target Jewell where our Fishhawk Creek of interest comes into the Nehalem River.

SIDETRIP – THE ELK

Coming from Portland, your route will generally be along US 26 west to just before crossing the Nehalem River for a second time. Here, a sign points to Oregon 103 and Jewell Meadows State Wildlife Management Area. The community of Jewell is up the Nehalem about six miles where you turn left onto Oregon 202 – again following signs for Jewell Meadows.

Fishhawk Falls is rainfed so best visited in the winter and spring when full. The time is also best for stopping at the Meadows along the way. During the winter you can find quite a few Roosevelt elk munching away at food provided by the State Wildlife department in an attempt at keeping the behemoths off neighboring pasturelands.

ON TO THE FALLS

Less than a mile past the meadows is the small Lee Wooden Fishhawk County Park. Park here and walk upstream for a view of the 72-foot high waterfall (rating 41.49). If you miss the park, there is a small parking area where the highway makes a sharp turn to the right at the top of the falls. From here you can scramble off the road for a view as well. In summer, the falls can be passed by without much thought, but in winter, glorious.

YOUNG’S RIVER FALLS

For our next stop on our tour of Coast Range Oregon waterfalls, continue on Oregon 202, turning left onto the Young’s Bay Road, four to five miles away from Astoria at the hamlet of Olney. Just off this road in another four miles is Young’s River Falls located in a small park administered by the City of Astoria.

It can rain a lot in this part of Oregon. 87 inches per year is considered normal for Clatsop County, not quite the 167 inches the Hoh rainforest further north in the Olympic Peninsula receives, but still a prodigious amount. Sometimes a snowfall in the mountains is followed by lots of rain aggravating a potential flooding situation. 1996 was one such time period, but looking at the amount of log debris near the base of Young’s River Falls, there have been other floods.

Again, in the summer, the 52-foot falls (not rated, but I would put it into the 50 category) is much tamer – compare these pictures to the one in this link. You will find locals lazing around the pools at the base of falls. Not in the winter when the mists fly from the force of the falling waters.

HEADING SOUTH

The next five Coast Range waterfalls are at the extreme limits of our two-hour edge out of Portland. Traffic is resuming normality in the Rose City, meaning gridlock. Depending on where you start from in the city, you should carefully plan your departure and return. A recent trip to the Coast took an extra 45 minutes to get away from the city and an extra 45-60 minutes to return.

Heading south from Clatsop County is Tillamook County, well-known for beaches, wild headlands, sand dunes, fishing and dairies. Hidden away in the rugged mountains are several waterfall gems.

MUNSON CREEK FALLS

The easiest to get to is Munson Creek Falls. A spectacular 319-foot high cataract – rating 46.60 – sited within a State Natural Site. A “natural site” is a small-scale park without many of the trappings of the larger parks. The park is also a fairly recent addition to the State system of parks dating to only 1999. The Simpson Timber Company sold the land around the creek and falls for half the appraised value.

A side road goes off to the east from US 101 seven miles south of Tillamook in the hamlet of Pleasant Valley. You proceed on this road, which turns to gravel near its end at about 1.5 miles. The parking lot has room for maybe ten cars. A wide trail goes to near the base of the falls in just over a half mile. You cannot get to the base itself because of storm damage, but because of the height of the falls, where you stop gives you a better perspective of the only waterfall in the Coast Range to break the 300-foot mark.

Also, like many waterfalls in Oregon, Coast Range or otherwise, this one drops to the north which makes photographing a challenge, especially in the winter or early spring when the waterfall is at its best. Come here in late August and you might be thinking, what is the big deal!

recharging

COAST RANGE DOUBLE – NIAGARA AND PHEASANT CREEK FALLS

Next on the Coast Range waterfalls tour are two waterfalls right next to each other. Going a bit further south on US 101 to the hamlet of Beaver – ten miles further south of the Munson Falls turn off. In Beaver, where the highway turns west ninety degree, take the left onto the Upper Nestucca Road – east. This beautiful and winding road follows the Nestucca River. Well known to local fishermen who drift the river lower down and fly fish further up. It is the basis for David James Duncan’s “The River Why“. The road eventually crosses the Coast Range, though not many follow it. Turn south a little over ten miles at the sign pointing to the “Niagara Falls Trailhead”.

You are off pavement quickly and the forest lane gains elevation quickly. The little traffic you saw on the Upper Nestucca Road becomes far less, a good thing since there is only one lane. Seven miles up, at a pass, turn right onto a road signed for the trailhead – other adventures await you if you miss the turn, but we will leave them for another day.

niagara falls

The road to the trailhead drops steeply down to a small parking lot in about 0.75 miles big enough for five or six cars. You have actually gone far enough east here to leave Tillamook County and are in the western extremes of Yamhill County, more known for its Willamette Valley vineyards. From the trailhead, the trail to the falls descends about 440 feet – from a starting elevation of 1370 feet, the highest point on the road in was about 1670 feet – in a mile. The trail gets steeper near the bottom using switchbacks through the densely forested canyon.

Your first look at the waterfalls is a view of the nearby Pheasant Creek Falls seen just before the trail tucks back into a side canyon where Niagara Falls drops in a 134-foot horsetail. Come in summer and the waterfall will be even less rated than the 37.07 it garners from the Northwest Survey. As is pointed out in the link, you could probably take a shower under it at that time.

pheasant creek falls

Only a hundred yards around a bend brings you to Pheasant Creek Falls. At 124-feet high – rating is 45.89 – the falls drops 18 feet in a little upper plunge before taking its big 106 foot drop into a dramatic basalt amphitheater. A picnic table invites you to tarry while taking in the two falls. Again, ratings are subjective. Taken together and the drive up here, this is a magical area when the waterfalls are at their best.

Further south, we head to another of the Coast Range waterfalls, definitely stretching the two-hour limit to its extreme, similar to the last two falls, we find ourselves in the next county south along the coast, Lincoln County. High in the mountains above Lincoln City is Drift Creek Falls. The water for the falls actually belongs to the North Fork of Drift Creek, but that name is too long. Falling 66 feet dramatically directly into Drift Creek proper – rating 51.53 – the scene made even more dramatic with a 250-foot suspension bridge crossing 100 feet above the Drift Creek canyon giving you a bird-eye view of the falls.

the drive

Access is normally via forest highway 17 – do not look for the number, however. The road is signed for “Drift Creek Falls Trailhead”. You used to be able to head straight east from Lincoln City, but a landslide had closed that ten mile access route at the time of my visit. From Oregon highway 18 at Rose Lodge, a couple miles east of its intersection with US 101 on the north edge of Lincoln City, turn south onto Bear Creek Road, signed for the “Drift Creek Covered Bridge”.

Drift Creek Falls trailhead is nine miles to the south and signs are provided along the way. There is a short mile where the road is gravel as it ascends to the crest of the range, but most of the way is twisty paved one-lane with turnouts. There is a large parking lot for about thirty cars at the trailhead. The waterfall is very popular, especially since Lincoln City is a popular tourist destination. Translating to come early or come late.

accessing the falls

The trail descends a little over 300 feet in a mile and a half through dense second-growth forest – a sidetrail can take you back into original growth. The trail is wide and you will not be alone. At the bridge, a plaque remembers a forest service foreman who died in the first attempt at building the bridge in 1993. It was not until 1997 the bridge was finally completed with many of the components lifted in by helicopter.

In 2010, a large chunk of the basalt cliffs dropped off into the former plunge pool below altering the appearance of the falls. This is well worth a visit, just time it early or later in the day.

the falls

MOVING EAST

ALSEA RIVER FALLS

The next stop of for our Coastal Oregon waterfalls adventure has us moving inland from the Coast towards the Willamette Valley side of the Coast Range. Here we will visit two falls. The first is Alsea River Falls which still, technically is on the Coast side – the Alsea River runs into the sea at Waldport. But access is easiest from either Corvallis-Philomath or Monroe-Eugene from the Willamette side. Alsea Falls has a 30-foot drop (rating is a mere 35.31 but winter time visits would push the score into the 50’s).

some fun photos

Full view from the bottom of Alsea Falls – 360 view click and drag mouse for full effect.

Top of Alsea River Falls – click and drag mouse for full 360 effect.

Lots of local people can be found here in the Bureau of Land Management Park on weekends and during the warm summer months. Easy to access though relatively unknown to Portlanders. Nearby Green Peak Falls can be accessed off a half-mile long trail from the Huckbert B. Lee Campground a short way downstream from Alsea Falls. This waterfall features a 45-foot drop (much higher rated at 47.53).

FALLS CITY FALLS

Definitely on the Willamette side of our Coast Range waterfalls tour is Falls City Falls on the Little Luckiamute River six miles southeast of Dallas and another 6-8 miles west of Salem. The waterfall is named after the little lumber-oriented town of Falls City named after the waterfall. With a 60-foot drop that was amazing with a late winter volume plunging through a basaltic chute, this waterfall does not have much of a write up on the Waterfall Survey site. It is definitely worth a visit in season. I am sure it is probably not as impressive in the summer as the drainage is rainfed.

View from the south side of Falls City Falls – 360 view click and drag mouse for full effect.

There is a little park on the south side of the falls, though you cannot really get a good look at it as it drops into a narrow basalt canyon. On Mitchell Street to the north, park on the street and walk down with care. With winter flow, things were very wet, and steps needed to be taken with care.

north side