FALL HIKES IN OREGON: WHERE THE FORESTS TURN GOLD
October in Oregon carries its own kind of silence. The rivers run clear, the soil breathes again, and the forests exchange their summer green for amber and rust. Even the light changes, softening across mossy trunks until the entire landscape is suspended between memory and renewal. This is the season that draws me closest to the land.
Fall hikes remind me that transformation does not always need to be loud. It can arrive in a single maple leaf drifting through rain, in the curve of a trail lined with cedar roots, in the quiet companionship of those who wander the woods without hurry. Oregon becomes a gallery of light and patience in these months, every trail a moving painting.
What follows are some of my favorite places to walk when the air turns cold and the forests begin to glow. Each one is accessible, steady underfoot, and layered with color. Bring your camera, your raincoat, and your willingness to be changed by the season.
Silver Falls State Park: Trail of Ten Falls (Silverton)
The Trail of Ten Falls carries the sound of water through a canyon carved from ancient basalt. Each waterfall has its own cadence. South Falls descends in a single clean sheet while others break and scatter into mist before they reach the pool below. The path curves behind the falling water where the world becomes sound and light, a place where voices fade and the forest breathes in unison
This forest was once part of a vast temperate rainforest that covered the Willamette Valley. Early settlers logged much of it, but in the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps restored what could be saved. They built the stone walls and bridges that still hold the trail together, shaping a park that would become one of Oregon’s great sanctuaries.
Autumn reveals the depth of the canyon. Vine maples burn red against the dark fir, and the forest floor glows with leaves that catch the soft light filtering through the mist. The air smells of cedar and rain. Water beads on the rock walls, gathers in the moss, and returns to the stream in a slow and endless rhythm.
The full loop runs just over seven miles, though many visitors take the shorter section between South Falls and Lower South Falls. The terrain is gentle, the footing steady, and time stretches thin between the echo of water and the hush that follows.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Trail of Ten Falls (Canyon Trail and Rim Trail loop)
Location: Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, Oregon
Distance: 7.2 miles total, with shorter options available
Elevation gain: 800 feet
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate, with steady inclines and wet surfaces
Best season: Mid October through early November for color and flow
Dogs: Not permitted on the Canyon Trail
Facilities: Restrooms, café, and the historic South Falls Lodge built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940
Camping: 48 electrical sites, 43 tent sites, 14 cabins, and group areas
Access: 20 miles east of Salem via Highway 214, parking at South Falls
Drift Creek Falls (Near Lincoln City)
The Drift Creek Falls Trail winds through deep forest where alder and spruce rise from the canyon floor. The air holds the scent of salt and cedar, and the sound of water grows stronger as you move inland. Ferns cover the ground, vine maples turn to copper, and light settles on the path in broken ribbons. The forest narrows to a bridge suspended high above the creek, and the view opens without warning.
The bridge stretches two hundred feet across the canyon, its cables humming with the wind. From the center, you can see the waterfall drop seventy-five feet through mist into a basin ringed with moss and stone. Below, the canyon walls shimmer with water, and every surface glows with the slow drip of rain. The air is cool and silver, and the sound of the falls carries through the trees long after you leave.
The trail was first built by the Forest Service in the 1960s and later restored after floods in the 1990s. The current bridge was completed in 1997, one of the tallest pedestrian suspension bridges in Oregon. The craftsmanship alone makes the hike worth the journey, and the quiet and the light give it permanence.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Drift Creek Falls Trail
Location: Siuslaw National Forest, east of Lincoln City, on Forest Road 17
Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 500 feet
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, steady grade with firm footing
Best season: Mid October through early November for peak color and strong water flow
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Vault toilets and picnic tables at the trailhead
Access: From Highway 101 south of Lincoln City, turn east on Drift Creek Road, then follow Forest Road 17 for 10 miles. Mostly paved, limited parking
Historical note: The original bridge was destroyed by flood in 1996 and replaced the following year
Forest Park: Lower Wildwood Trail (Portland)Forest Park lies within the city and preserves something deep and ancient. Centuries before settlers arrived, Indigenous peoples walked these hills. Now more than 5,200 acres of forest cling to Portland’s western slope.
Civic leaders in the late 1800s and early 1900s dreamed of a wild refuge in the city. In 1903, Portland’s park commission hired the Olmsted Brothers to map out a system of parks that included what later became Forest Park. Formal dedication came in 1948.
The Wildwood Trail threads through this forest. It spans 30.2 miles and links city edges to deep forest. The lower section near Macleay and Leif Erickson is ideal for fall walks. The canopy opens and closes, and sunlight pours across moss and leaf litter, turning the path golden.
In fall, maple and alder glow at the edges, and oak leaves drift onto the trail. Ferns bow under the weight of moisture. The closer you stay to the forest floor, the more you become part of its quiet turning.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Wildwood Trail, lower section via Macleay or Leif Erickson
Location: Forest Park, Portland
Distance: Approximately 4 to 5 miles out and back in the lower stretch
Elevation gain: Modest, gentle grades
Trail type: Out and back or partial loop using fire lanes
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Designation: National Recreation Trail
Best season: Mid October through early November for color in the lower hills
Dogs: Leashed pets allowed
Wildlife and ecology: More than 112 bird species and 62 mammal species; ferns, moss, Douglas fir, red alder, maple
Historical features: The Stone House ruin; blue diamond blazes that mark the route
Access and parking: Trailheads at Macleay Park, Leif Erickson Drive fire roads, and several neighborhood access points
Cape Lookout (Tillamook Coast)
Cape Lookout extends two miles into the Pacific, a long basalt spine shaped by fire and sea. The cliffs drop more than four hundred feet to the waves, where gulls circle in the wind and the horizon bends with light. This is one of the coast’s most dramatic headlands, known for wide views, loud storms, and the rare calm that follows them.
The trail begins beneath a canopy of Sitka spruce, hemlock, and maple. In autumn, the forest glows in amber and green, and the ocean appears through the trees in brief flashes of silver. The air is damp and salt rich, carrying the scent of cedar and seaweed. When the fog lifts, the trail narrows toward the point and the world opens into ocean and sky.
During World War II, Cape Lookout served as a lookout site for aircraft and submarines. The headland’s height made it a natural post for observation, and remnants of old bunkers and concrete foundations rest beneath the moss. The area became part of Cape Lookout State Park in 1935, developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
The trail is well maintained and steady, but in wet weather it can turn muddy. Watch your footing near the edges, especially after rain. On clear days, you can see north to Cape Meares and south to Cape Kiwanda. From January through March, gray whales migrate past the headland. Autumn brings a quiet migration of color through the trees.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Cape Lookout Trail
Location: Cape Lookout State Park, 13000 Whiskey Creek Road, Tillamook, Oregon
Distance: 4.8 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 900 feet total
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Moderate, with narrow sections and occasional mud
Best season: Mid October through early November for forest color and calm weather windows
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms, picnic areas, campground with yurts and cabins
Access: From Tillamook, drive south on Highway 131 through Netarts and follow signs to Cape Lookout State Park
Historical note: Established in 1935 and developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps; used as a military observation post during World War II
Metolius River Trail (Camp Sherman, Central Oregon)
The Metolius River begins with sudden force. Water rises from the ground in a single surge, forming a clear blue current within a few steps of its source. The spring emerges from volcanic rock at the base of Black Butte, cold enough to fog the air on crisp mornings. The name Metolius comes from the Warm Springs word met-to-lieus, meaning white fish. The river remains sacred to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
Autumn changes the entire valley. Aspens shimmer in gold, vine maples turn the edges of the forest to fire, and ponderosa pines stand still against the color. The water mirrors every shade. The trail follows the river’s edge for miles through pine needles and soft dirt, crossing small bridges and quiet campgrounds where the air smells of resin and earth. The sound of the current stays constant and shapes the silence into rhythm.
The first stretch near the headwaters is paved and easy to walk. Interpretive signs share the story of the spring and the geology that brought it to life. Farther downstream, the dirt path winds beneath tall trees and open meadows where sunlight moves in slow patterns across the water. The forest stays cool long after summer has passed. Every turn carries the quiet strength of a river that began whole from the moment it touched the surface.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Metolius River Trail
Location: Near Camp Sherman, Deschutes National Forest, northwest of Sisters, Oregon
Distance: 6 to 7 miles one way, with shorter access points available
Elevation gain: Minimal, mostly level terrain
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, steady footing and shaded
Best season: Early October through early November for color and clear weather
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms and picnic tables at the Head of the Metolius day-use area, multiple parking areas
Access: From Sisters, drive northwest on Highway 20, turn onto Forest Road 14 toward Camp Sherman, and follow signs for the Head of the Metolius
Historical note: Designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1988; historic summer cabins date to the early 1900s
Shevlin Park: Tumalo Creek Trail (Bend, Central Oregon)
Shevlin Park lies on the western edge of Bend, where the forest rises toward the Cascades. Tumalo Creek cuts through ponderosa pines and aspen groves. In fall, the forest shifts from green to flame. Aspens turn gold, the creek runs glassy and cold, and the scent of pine carries through the canyon.
The land was donated to the city in 1920 by James Shevlin, a timber magnate from Minnesota who built mills across the Northwest. His gift preserved a section of forest for the people of Bend. A century later, it remains one of the city’s most beloved escapes. Early mornings bring runners, families, and quiet walkers who move through light that filters in slow bands across the trees.
The trail system stretches for miles, yet even the shortest loops hold plenty of color. Wooden bridges cross the creek at narrow points, and the sound of water threads through the park. In October, fallen leaves gather along the bends in the current. The air cools quickly as the sun drops behind the ridge, and the forest settles into stillness.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Tumalo Creek Trail, main route through Shevlin Park
Location: 18920 NW Shevlin Park Road, Bend, Oregon
Distance: 4.5 miles round trip for the main loop, with shorter options
Elevation gain: About 300 feet, gradual
Trail type: Loop or out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, well-groomed paths
Best season: Mid October for aspen color, clear skies, and cool air
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms, picnic areas, ample parking near the main entrance
Access: Ten minutes from downtown Bend via Newport Avenue and Shevlin Park Road
Historical note: Donated to the City of Bend in 1920; expanded through community conservation projects
Watson Falls (North Umpqua, Umpqua National Forest)
Watson Falls drops over a basalt cliff in a single, dramatic plunge. The spray catches sunlight in mist, turning the air cool and luminous. The trail climbs through old-growth forest, passing Douglas fir, hemlock, vine maple, and a carpet of moss and ferns. Leaves in fall blaze gold and red at the edges of the path. At the viewpoint, the drop of nearly three hundred feet becomes a moment of vertical, silence, and water.
The forest carries deep history. The basalt that forms the cliff belongs to ancient flows that shaped this land long before human footsteps. The Umpqua National Forest, created in 1907, holds this land in trust.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Watson Falls Trail
Location: North Umpqua Ranger District, Umpqua National Forest, Douglas County, Oregon
Distance: Approximately 0.8 mile loop
Elevation gain: About 300 to 400 feet
Trail type: Loop with side spurs and a footbridge
Difficulty: Moderate for a short hike, with stairs and steep sections
Best season: Late September through October for fall color
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Pit toilets, picnic area, interpretive signs at the trailhead; parking off Fish Creek Road
Access: From Roseburg, take Highway 138 east toward Diamond Lake for about 61 miles, then turn south onto Fish Creek Road. The trailhead is just ahead
Geology note: The cliffs belong to the Toketee formation, a record of ancient volcanic activity
Tamolitch Blue Pool: McKenzie River Trail (McKenzie River, Central Oregon)
The forest begins in shadow, where the air stays cool even in midafternoon. The trail follows the McKenzie River through basalt and vine maple, rising slowly toward light. The sound of water grows distant, then disappears. When the trees open, the river returns in the shape of a pool so bright it seems alive.
The water emerges from underground after traveling miles through lava rock. It carries minerals that bend sunlight into a pure blue that glows from its center. The current runs strong beneath the surface, invisible and cold. Mist clings to the cliffs, and the air hums with the quiet that only water and stone create.
Tamolitch means bubbling water in the Chinook language. The pool was known to tribal travelers long before the McKenzie Highway existed. The lava that shaped it poured from Belknap Crater more than fifteen centuries ago, sealing the river inside rock. What remains is a single window into the earth, surrounded by fir, moss, and color.
In October, vine maples flare orange and red along the trail. The ground is soft with needles, and the scent of pine follows you to the overlook. From above, the pool glows like polished glass, showing every boulder beneath. The water never warms and holds the light of the season like a mirror.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Tamolitch Blue Pool via McKenzie River Trail
Location: Willamette National Forest, near McKenzie Bridge, Oregon
Distance: 3.6 miles round trip from Trail Bridge Reservoir
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, rocky near the overlook
Best season: Mid October for vine maple color and steady weather
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms at Trail Bridge Campground
Access: From McKenzie Bridge, drive 10 miles east on Highway 126, turn left toward Trail Bridge Reservoir, and follow signs to the trailhead
Historical note: The McKenzie River’s surface channel was buried by lava about 1,500 years ago; the pool marks where the river reemerges
Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (Harney Basin, Eastern Oregon)
The Harney Basin stretches wide enough to swallow silence. Light moves in slow bands across the marsh, and the sky holds every color between silver and gold. In autumn, cottonwoods and willows line the water in flame-colored leaves, and the wind carries the scent of sage and dust. Malheur is a place of return. Birds come by the thousands and circle the wetlands before settling to rest.
The refuge was born from loss. In the early 1900s, hunters killed egrets and herons for the fashion trade, their feathers shipped east to decorate hats. Local ranchers and naturalists fought to stop the slaughter, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt protected this land. It remains one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the United States and a vital part of the Pacific Flyway.
By October, sandhill cranes gather near the Blitzen River, and snow geese drift in slow, spiraling lines above the marsh. The sound of their calls carries across miles of open country. The stillness between those calls is part of the experience. The horizon bends and the light never stops changing. Every movement of water or wing becomes its own story.
Short walking trails lead to viewing platforms, and many visitors explore by car, stopping at overlooks and field stations. Each turn reveals a new layer of the refuge, from shallow lakes filled with pelicans to cottonwood groves that glow against the desert. The beauty is steady and infinite, a lesson in how life gathers even in the quietest places.
Trail and Park Details
Trail area: Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney County, Oregon
Main access points: Headquarters Nature Trail, P Ranch, Buena Vista Overlook
Distance: Short accessible paths and auto routes with many pullouts
Elevation gain: Minimal
Trail type: Loop drives with optional walking segments
Difficulty: Easy and accessible
Best season: October through early November for color and bird migration
Dogs: Allowed on leash in designated areas
Facilities: Visitor center, restrooms, picnic areas at headquarters
Access: About 30 miles south of Burns via Highway 205
Historical note: Established in 1908 to protect Oregon’s bird populations; now more than 187,000 acres of wetlands, lakes, and desert grasslands
Darlingtonia Botanical Wayside (Florence, Central Oregon Coast)
The forest at the edge of Florence gives way to a strange garden. A wooden boardwalk slips into a coastal bog where sunlight scatters across standing water. The ground smells of iron and peat, and pitcher plants rise from the moss in tall green curves. Each one bends inward, painted with red veins that shimmer in the light. These are Darlingtonia, the only carnivorous plant native to Oregon.
This wetland has existed since the last ice age, fed by hidden springs beneath the dunes. The site was protected in 1935, one of the earliest botanical preserves on the coast. In October, the sedges turn gold, and the pitcher plants take on the color of copper. The forest around them glows with cedar and spruce, and frogs hide under the roots. It is a tiny world, balanced between forest and swamp, and a reminder of how small miracles survive when left alone.
The path is short and accessible, looping through the bog in silence. Each step reveals a new movement, a dragonfly, a drop of water, the delicate bend of a plant designed to consume. You leave with the sense that the land here carries its own quiet intelligence.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Darlingtonia Botanical Wayside Boardwalk
Location: Three miles north of Florence, Oregon
Distance: 0.3 mile loop
Elevation gain: Minimal
Trail type: Boardwalk loop
Difficulty: Easy and fully accessible
Best season: October through early November for color and clear air
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Parking area, interpretive signs, picnic tables; restrooms in Florence
Access: On Highway 101 north of Florence, turn at the signed pullout just past Mercer Lake Road
Historical note: Designated a state natural site in 1935 to protect Oregon’s native pitcher plant
Smith Rock State Park: Crooked River Trail (Terrebonne, Central Oregon)
Smith Rock rises from the high desert like a cathedral of fire and ash. The cliffs are ancient volcanic tuff, their faces carved by time and wind. The Crooked River winds below them, steady and green, cutting through the ochre stone. In autumn, the cottonwoods along the banks turn yellow, and the air cools enough for the canyon to breathe again.
Long before climbers arrived, the Northern Paiute and Warm Springs peoples camped along the river during seasonal migrations. The cliffs are remnants of a collapsed caldera formed more than thirty million years ago. When the sun sinks low, the rock glows red, and the river mirrors the light until it becomes one continuous flame.
The Crooked River Trail follows the base of the cliffs, looping from the footbridge and tracing the water’s edge. Hawks circle in the thermals. Mule deer graze in the meadows. Desert grass whispers in every gust of wind. The light in October changes by the minute, painting the canyon in layers of gold and rust.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Crooked River Trail
Location: Smith Rock State Park, Terrebonne, Oregon
Distance: 2.6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy, with some uneven footing
Best season: Late September through October for color and mild temperatures
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Visitor center, restrooms, picnic tables, day-use area
Access: From Redmond, drive north on Highway 97, turn east on Smith Rock Way, and follow signs to the park entrance
Historical note: State park since 1960; a global climbing landmark
Proxy Falls: Loop Trail (McKenzie Pass, Central Cascades)
The forest above McKenzie Pass carries an older silence. Ponderosa gives way to hemlock and vine maple, their leaves already turning. The path crosses fields of ancient lava, black and sharp underfoot, then drops into a clearing filled with sound. Proxy Falls appears in fragments through the trees, a hundred-foot veil of water spilling over moss-covered stone.
The falls formed when lava from Yapoah Crater buried an older valley and forced the creek to carve a new descent through basalt. Water spreads into thin white ribbons and dissolves before it reaches the pool below. Mist drifts through the forest and coats the branches in silver. Even in sunlight, the air stays cool. The ground is soft with moss, and every surface shines.
In October, vine maples flame red against the black rock. The trail completes a small loop and crosses younger forest on the return. The scent of pine and ash lingers long after you leave.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Proxy Falls Loop Trail
Location: Willamette National Forest, McKenzie Pass, Oregon
Distance: 1.6 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 140 feet
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Easy, with rocky footing near the falls
Best season: Late September through October for color and flow
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Vault toilets at the trailhead
Access: From Highway 126 near McKenzie Bridge, take Highway 242 west for about six miles to the signed trailhead
Historical note: The falls descend over a lava field created by Yapoah Crater about six thousand years ago
Paulina Lake: Loop Trail (Newberry National Volcanic Monument)
Paulina Lake lies inside the caldera of the Newberry Volcano, a vast crater formed when the mountain collapsed thirteen centuries ago. The lake mirrors the ridgeline in perfect calm. The forest rises close to the water, and steam seeps from vents along the shore. The air smells faintly of sulfur and pine, a reminder that the earth still stirs beneath the surface.
The loop trail follows the shoreline through lodgepole pine and open meadows. In autumn, huckleberry turns scarlet, and the grasses shift to gold. The path passes hot springs, small beaches of black volcanic sand, and clear water that reveals the stones below. Long stretches run level at the water’s edge, and brief climbs lead to overlooks that show both lakes, Paulina and East, set within the same ancient rim.
Newberry remains one of the most active geologic regions in Oregon, though its power now sleeps under the forest. The land carries heat and stillness in equal measure. On calm afternoons, the lake holds the reflection of every tree and cloud. Fire once made ruin here, and water made peace.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Paulina Lake Loop Trail
Location: Newberry National Volcanic Monument, near La Pine, Oregon
Distance: 7.8 miles, loop
Elevation gain: 300 feet
Trail type: Loop
Difficulty: Moderate, mostly level with rocky stretches
Best season: September through October before snow closes the road
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Campgrounds, picnic areas, restrooms near Paulina Lake and East Lake
Access: From Highway 97 near La Pine, follow Paulina Lake Road for about 13 miles to the day-use parking area
Historical note: Paulina Lake formed when Newberry Volcano collapsed about 1,300 years ago, leaving one of the largest calderas in North America
Tumalo Falls (Bend, Central Oregon)
Tumalo Falls stands just west of Bend, where the forest opens into a canyon carved by ice and time. The Deschutes River flows cold and fast through volcanic rock, its sound steady as a drumbeat beneath the trees. The main viewpoint lies only a short walk from the parking area, yet the sight of the waterfall stops nearly everyone in silence. Water plunges ninety-seven feet through a basalt throat, white against the dark stone, before scattering into mist.
In autumn the canyon glows with color. Vine maples and alder flare orange and gold, and the spray from the falls catches the light like glass. Upstream, the trail follows Tumalo Creek through a forest of pine, larch, and hemlock. Wooden bridges cross the current, and smaller cascades appear one after another. The path climbs gently, giving views back toward the city and the high desert beyond.
Tumalo Falls became part of the Deschutes National Forest in 1908, a protected landscape that once supported early logging and irrigation routes. Today it serves as one of Bend’s closest wilderness escapes. The sound of the falls carries down the canyon long after you turn back, a reminder that even the wildest power can move with grace.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Tumalo Falls Trail (upper and lower viewpoints)
Location: Deschutes National Forest, west of Bend, Oregon
Distance: 7 miles round trip to the upper falls, shorter walks available
Elevation gain: About 700 feet
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, with gentle grades and steady footing
Best season: Late September through October for color and clear skies
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms, picnic tables, and paved viewpoint area
Access: From downtown Bend, take Skyliners Road for 11 miles, then turn left onto Forest Road 4603 and continue to the parking lot
Historical note: The name Tumalo comes from a Klamath word meaning “wild” or “frozen water,” an echo of the river’s mountain origin
Salt Creek Falls (Willamette Pass, Central Cascades)
Salt Creek Falls is the second tallest waterfall in Oregon, dropping 286 feet in a single, unbroken fall. The view from the overlook appears almost immediately, a sudden opening in the forest that reveals a column of white water plunging into a basalt amphitheater. The air cools the moment you step near the railing, and the sound of the falls fills the canyon like low thunder.
The surrounding forest of hemlock, cedar, and Douglas fir changes with the season. In October, vine maples blaze red along the rim, and the undergrowth glows with yellow alder leaves. A short paved trail leads to the main viewpoint, while a steeper path descends to a platform near the base. Mist drifts across the canyon and settles on the rocks, coating them with a fine shine. Every sense becomes sharper here.
Salt Creek has carved this gorge for thousands of years, carrying snowmelt from the Willamette Pass into the Middle Fork of the Willamette River. The area became part of the Willamette National Forest in 1933, and the overlook was later built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Even with its easy access, the site retains a wildness that belongs to water, stone, and time.
Trail and Park Details
Trail name: Salt Creek Falls Observation Area
Location: Willamette National Forest, near Oakridge, Oregon
Distance: 0.6 mile round trip to the lower viewpoint, with optional loops along Salt Creek
Elevation gain: About 300 feet if descending to the base viewpoint
Trail type: Out and back
Difficulty: Easy to moderate, paved and well maintained
Best season: Late September through October for color and strong water flow
Dogs: Allowed on leash
Facilities: Restrooms, picnic tables, and interpretive displays
Access: From Highway 58 near Willamette Pass, follow signs for Salt Creek Falls, located about 22 miles east of Oakridge
Historical note: The overlook was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s; the waterfall remains one of Oregon’s most photographed natural landmarks
