This is post three in the series on hikes to Oregon’s Majestic waterfalls. This area covers the Hikes to southern Oregon’s majestic waterfalls. This area encompasses the area south of Sutherlin and inland from the Coast. We’ll cover the waterfalls along the Pacific Coast in the next post.
Southern Oregon’s Hidden Gems: Umpqua National Forest
If we continue down I-97, we come to the Umpqua National Forest, where we’ll find several falls along Highway 138. This is a beautiful area for hiking, but fires and extreme weather have caused extensive damage over the past five years. It has many hidden waterfall gems. These are often less crowded than the Gorge.
Lemolo Falls: Serious Hike Due to Downed Trees
This one is a beauty, but getting to it is precarious. First, finding the right trailhead is problematic. At least two, maybe three, trails take you to this waterfall. The first one is the one we took, and we recorded the walk on AllTrails. Its GPS coordinates are: 43°19’44.9″N 122°12’10.1″W. The second one requires 4WD for the last half mile or so. The second one takes you to the bottom of the falls. The first one takes you parallel to the top.
There were few people there while we were there. A forest service engineer was inspecting a giant boulder and trying to figure out how to blast it off the trail. He and his fellow engineers had been trying to figure that out for a few years. Downed trees and lots of snow covered parts of the trail. The best part of this long-ish walk was Benji playing in the snow.
Here are the photos we got.
Whitehorse Falls: No Hike Necessary
Accessing this beautiful waterfall is very easy. Walk twenty or so steps from the parking lot and you’ll see them.
Watson Falls: Douglas County’s Tallest
This fall is the tallest waterfall in Douglas County. It plunges 293 feet, making it an impressive sight. The trail can be challenging, with some steep sections and rocky terrain. Watch for hazards like slippery spots. Be careful where your step. The surrounding forest is lush and offers serene scenery.
Toketee Falls: A Powerful Display
This fall is a powerful display of nature’s force. The North Umpqua River is funneled through a narrow channel and plunges into a pool below. The short, accessible trail leads to a viewpoint, which offers a stunning look at the falls.
The area has unique geological features. Basalt columns and cliffs surround the falls. These features add to its dramatic setting. Toketee Falls is a must-see.
Grotto Falls: Secluded Spot
I’ve read some reviews that call this a moderately challenging hike. I didn’t think it was very challenging. Here’s the AllTrails information. The falls are beautiful and somewhat secluded, considering you can walk behind them. We didn’t. It was November when we were there, and it was chilly enough! Here’s what the falls look like.
Susan Creek Falls: Decimated by Wildfires
We have tried to go here three times. Access to it was closed all three times. But in looking at recent pictures, I think I’ll wait until it the surrounding forest grows back. The area just looks post-apocalyptic. I’d rather see it with new growth, and that might take a while.
National Creek Falls: A Long Hike When There’s Snow
Spring had not quite sprung when we got to this area. It had been snowing and continued to snow a couple of days after we left. To get here, take 138 to 230. There’s a forest service road called NF-6530 that will lead you down to the waterfall. However, when we were there, that road was snowed in, and the gate was closed. So we parked outside the gate and walked the road to the waterfall. Here’s our AllTrails map.
There are no services, e.g., no restrooms, no cell service, no food/water, so bring your own snacks and water, and be prepared. Here are videos I got of Benji playing in the snow on our way to the falls.
Here are the shots I got.
Mill Creek & Barr Creek Falls: Two Beauties Near Each Other
This area is abundant in waterfalls. It’s also near a firefighting helipad, which is located at the Prospect State Airport. The trailhead that leads to viewing areas for Mill Creek and Barr Creek is on the opposite side of the canyon from the waterfalls. Some trails take you down to what’s called, Avenue of the Boulders. So, here are the photos of that area and what the falls look like from that side of the canyon. But see Pearsony Falls, in the next section, to find out how you can get to the top of Mill Creek Falls on the other side of the canyon. This is our AllTrails map that shows where we went.
Pearsony Falls: Near Mill Creek & Barr Creek
These falls are on the same side of the above canyon as Mill Creek and Barr Creek. There is a parking area with a pit toilet. Our route is on AllTrails. It shows that we went beyond the regular trail, overgrown and littered with downed trees. Our route went all the way to the top of Mill Creek.
Pearsony Falls is at the beginning of this trail. It’s much smaller than the other two, but it’s a lovely, serene area. The trail runs over to the Rogue river, where the bridge crosses it. The river running down over the boulders could almost be mistaken for a waterfall itself.
Here are the pictures we got of the area. At one point, Rick put up the drone to try to get Mills Creek and Barr Creek at the same time, but we had trouble running the drone with helicopters coming in and out of the helipad, which is almost on top of Mills Creek Falls. He did get a shot of both of the falls, though.
Butte Falls: Not to be Confused with Butte Creek Falls
This waterfall is located in the boondocks. It’s a long drive from anywhere. From Medford, Google Maps says it’s 32.3 miles, but it’ll take 46 minutes to get there by car. It feels longer than that. At the falls, there is a small parking lot and a viewing platform. When we were there, it looked like they were improving the trails or adding trails.
Butte Creek Falls is farther north, about 5 hours away, near the Trail of Ten Falls. But, in reading the reviews of this one, some people thought they were at Butte Creek Falls or maybe they were at Butte Creek Falls and they logged their review in the wrong place.
Conclusion
Southern Oregon has many beautiful falls. Be sure to allow enough time to see them all, or plan to make multiple trips. Hopefully, the area won’t be as vulnerable to fires soon.
There are many more hikes to waterfalls to visit, so let’s move to the south coast and work our way up the Pacific coast from there.
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