Oregon is blessed with many scenic waterfalls, and most are at their best during winter and spring when water flow is high. In this post, I am going to take you to five that are less than an hour from I-5, and all can be enjoyed in a single day. Four are in McDowell Creek Falls Park and the fifth in Cascadia State Park.
McDowell Creek Falls Park
This Linn County Park is a wonderful hidden gem about 16 miles east of Lebanon, Oregon. Among it’s amenities are three miles of forested hiking trails, picnic areas and four easily accessible waterfalls
The park’s waterfalls can be seen on an easy to moderate 1.6 mile hike through temperate rainforest with trees dripping in beautiful green mosses. During the winter, the hike is a little more challenging than in summer due to mud on some of the steeper trail sections.
Don’t want to hike? Three of the four waterfalls are accessible by short walks from parking areas along McDowell Creek Road.
I parked at the lower parking lot (the first one you reach along McDowell Creek Road) and started my hike at the Royal Terrace Falls Trailhead. From the parking lot, you cross a wooden footbridge and, in 0.2 miles, reach a trail junction. To the left is another footbridge which crosses Fall Creek giving a view of Royal Terrace Falls.
Here, Fall Creek drops 119 feet in three tiers with the longest of the drops being 71 feet. This is an example of a tiered horsetail waterfall. Although it is by far the tallest of the falls, it possesses the lowest water volume of the park’s falls. The name of the falls derives from its terraced appearance that is similar to the fountains of some royal palaces. At this point, you can either head back to your car and drive to the upper parking lot or continue on your hike.
Continuing on the hike, you can either backtrack and head up the long stone staircase to the top of the falls or continue along the trail beyond the footbridge. I chose to take the stairs on the return leg of the loop and continue on the trail. Staying to the right at the next two junctions, brings you to another footbridge in crossing McDowell Creek in 0.2 miles. The trail skirts the middle parking lot/picnic area and heads uphill above the rushing creek. A short distance from where the trail crosses the road, there is a somewhat non-distinct spur trail on the right that takes you down to creek level providing a view of Crystal Falls.
At this point, McDowell Creek squeezes through a constriction and cascades down a short 14′ chute creating a pool. During the summer months when water volume is low, this pool provides a swimming hole that is said to be crystal clear. However, on this day there was no pool I would have wanted to use for swimming! Crystal Falls is an example of a punchbowl waterfall.
If you did not continue on the hike, you can see the falls either from the road while driving to the upper parking lot or by walking up the steep trail from the middle parking lot. There is no viewpoint at which to stop along the road.
Continuing uphill, brings you to Majestic Falls and its interesting boardwalk/stair system and observation deck. Here, McDowell Creek drops 39 feet into a pool at the head of a small box canyon. Majestic Falls is an example of a curtain falls. Although not the tallest of the park’s falls, it is the largest on McDowell Creek. To reach the falls without hiking, park in the upper lot and walk down the stairs to the observation deck.
After climbing the stairs to the parking lot, the trail crosses the road and heads back towards Royal Terrace Falls. This section of trail winds through the forest away from the creeks. Eventually, the trail takes you to the top of Royal Terrace Falls, and you descend that long set of stone step to the bottom of the falls. From here, you retrace your steps to the lower parking lot.
If you have been counting, we have only seen three waterfalls. The fourth is just a few steps from the lower parking lot via a short trial through the picnic area. Lower McDowell Creek Falls is the last major waterfall before the creek joins the South Santiam River (Upper McDowell Creek Falls is a few miles upstream of the park). Lower McDowell Creek Falls is actually composed of three tiers where the creek drops over widely separated 5 to 10 foot high ledges for a total vertical drop of 20′. Unfortunately, you can only easily see the first of the three tiers which is shown here. You can find a viewpoint at the level of the second tier, but the third tier is on private property and inaccessible.
| To reach McDowell Creek Falls Park from I-5, turn east on U.S. 20 at Albany. Continue about 20 miles to McDowell Creek Road and turn left. Drive another 6.5 miles on this road to the park. There will be signs pointing to the park. |
Cascadia State Park
In 1896, George Geisendorfer opened a resort along the old Santiam Wagon Road consisting of a hotel, tennis courts, croquet area, garden and bowling alley. The resort attracted people to come drink the water emanating from a spring along Soda Creek for its perceived health benefits. On some weekends, as many as 2000 people visited the resort. Eventually the hotel burned, and the State of Oregon acquired the property in 1940. Today the park has a day use area, campground and two hiking trails. One of the trails leads to Lower Soda Falls which was originally named Cascadia Falls after the little nearby hamlet of Cascadia.
Getting to the waterfall is a 1.5 mile out and back hike through temperate rainforest with an elevation gain of 367 feet.. This waterfall is much more impressive in the winter having very low water flow during the summer months. The trail to the waterfall is not the one that goes down the stairs in the parking area which is the trail to Soda Springs. To reach the trailhead, walk toward the campground following the road around a curve to the right. The trailhead is marked by two white posts which are on the left and signed Soda Falls. The trail is easy to follow but was muddy and a bit slippery in places. There was one place where climbing under a log was required. After 0.75 miles, you reach the falls.
Lower Soda Falls drops 134 feet in three cascades of 49, 39 and 54 feet through a narrow channel in the basalt cliff. At its maximum flow, the waterfall is about 8′ wide. The uppermost cascade drops at a 90 degree angle from the other two tiers which makes photographing the falls difficult. Lower Soda Falls is an example of a tiered horsetail waterfall.
| To reach Cascadia State Park, from I-5 turn east on U.S. 20 at Albany. The park will be on your left about 14 miles east of Sweet Home. |
Thanks to you, I hope to visit these when I come up to stay in Waldport at the end of April!
Kay, if you are coming up I-5, you could go east on Hwy 20 to visit these falls and then take Hwy 20 west back to Albany and go directly to Waldport on OR-34.