Tag: alsea falls

2022 Waterfalls

The 2022 hiking season wound up being full of waterfalls. That wasn’t necessarily the plan at the beginning of the year but when Heather’s season was cut short I wound up doing three waterfall filled hikes on top of several waterfall hikes we’d done earlier in the year. By the end of the year we’d seen 50+ named waterfalls and 20 unnamed cascades. That seems like enough to warrant a post so here are the waterfalls and cascades that we saw throughout the year.

Starting with the unnamed cascades were a pair of small drops near the Nehalem Divide Railroad Tunnel.

On that same hike we visited a seasonal fall just off the Crown Zellerbach Trail.

In April we saw a series of cascades along Silvas Creek from the Klickitat Trail

During a June hike to Black Hole Falls we passed three unnamed cascades on the North Fork Siouxon Trail.

The following week we passed a nice little fall on the North Umpqua River Trail heading to Lemolo Falls.

Our next notable unnamed cascade was below Devil’s Punchbowl in the Siskiyou Wilderness which we visited on July 2nd.

On July 12th we encountered an impressive split cascade in the Eagle Cap Wilderness on the way to Burger Pass along the Buck Creek Trail.

In August we saw a few unnamed falls/cascades starting with a little slide falls along Hemlock Creek.

Unnamed waterfall along Riley Creek in the Mt. Adams Wilderness

Unnamed waterfall below East Boulder Lake in the Trinity Alps Wilderness.

A September hike along Union Creek produced several unnamed cascades.

My October waterfalls hikes produced two unnamed cascades.
Cascade on Wahkeena Creek.

Small cascade along the North Fork Silver Creek.

The final unnamed cascade came on a chilly November hike along the Eagle Creek Trail beyond Seven Mile Falls.

Now for the named waterfalls (All names come from the Northwest Waterfall Survey.)
Mosier Creek Falls (post)

Black Hole Falls (post)

Highway 138 Waterfalls (post)
Susan Creek Falls

Toketee Falls

Surprise Falls

Columnar Falls

Watson Falls

Warm Springs Falls

Lemolo Falls

Alsea Falls Recreation Area (post)
Alsea Falls

Green Peak Falls

Hemlock Creek/Lake (post)
Yasko Falls

Hemlock Falls

Tributary Falls

Middle Hemlock Falls

Clover Falls

Grotto Falls

Wolf Creek and Fall Creek Falls (post)

Fall Creek Falls

Upper tier of Wolf Creek Falls

Lower tier of Wolf Creek Falls

South Umpqua Falls (post)

Union Creek Falls (post)

Chitwood Creek Falls

Larch Mountain Trail (post)
Multnomah Falls

Lower Dutchman Falls

Upper Dutchman Falls

Wiesendanger Falls

Ecola Falls

Fairy Falls

Wahkeena Falls

Silver Falls Perimeter Loop (post)
Upper North Falls

North Falls

Twin Falls

Winter Falls

Middle North Falls

Drake Falls

Double Falls

Lower North Falls

Lower South Falls

South Falls

Eagle Creek Trail (post)
Sorenson Falls

Metlako Falls

Lower Punchbowl Falls

Punchbowl Falls

Loowit Falls

Skoonichuck Falls

Four Mile Falls

Tenas Falls

Wy’East Falls

Grand Union Falls

Tunnel Falls

Twister Falls

Seven Mile Falls

Tags alsea falls, Eagle Creek, Grotto Falls, hiking, Lemolo Falls, Mosier Falls, Multnomah Falls, Oregon, Silver Falls, Tokatee Falls, Waterfalls, Watson Falls, Yasko Falls

Coastal Range Corvallis Hiking Oregon Trip report Willamette Valley

Alsea Falls and E.E. Wilson Interpretive Trail

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date August 1, 2022
1 Comment on Alsea Falls and E.E. Wilson Interpretive Trail

The Central Cascade Wilderness Permit system has been in place for 2 years now and for the second year in a row we gambled early and secured permits in April for a weekend backpacking trip. For the second year in a row weather prompted us to leave the purchased permits unused. Last September it was an early snow storm and this year it was a heat wave accompanied by the threat of thunderstorms. We had planned on hiking around Three Fingered Jack but after checking the forecast the morning of our departure we went to Plan B. The combination of nearly 90 degree temperatures (with an overnight low pushing 70) on trails that are 95% exposed due to passing through the 2008 B & B fire scar and the possibility of thunderstorms throughout the entire weekend just didn’t sound appealing.

We had gotten up at 4am and most of our packing already done but we needed somewhere to go. It needed to be nearby so we could get onto the trail early and short enough that we wouldn’t be out as the day warmed up. As I was trying to come up with ideas Alsea Falls came to mind. We had hiked to the falls in December 2011 (post) and had wanted to see them again when there was less water as the volume in December had been too much to see. With 3.5 miles round trip to visit both Alsea and Green Peak Falls this fit the criteria nicely and it would give us time to make a quick stop at E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area if we felt like it on the way back home.

We were the first car at the Alsea Falls Day-Use/Picnic Area and after paying the $5 fee (In 2012 we avoided this fee by parking along Miller Road which lengthened the hike.) we set off following pointers for Alsea Falls.

We stayed left here following the pointer. We later crossed the bridge on the way to Green Peak Falls.

A quarter mile from the trailhead we came to the top of Alsea Falls. The trail continued downhill providing a few different vantage points of the falls.

Heather in front of the falls.

December 2012

After checking out the falls from several spots we headed back up to the bridge and crossed the river.
Looking down river from the bridge.

On the far side of the bridge we turned left following the pointer for McBee Park and Green Peak Falls.

We followed trail pointers to stay on the correct path which brought us to a road near McBee Park (Privately owned by Hull-Oaks Lumber Company).

Fireweed

We turned off the main gravel road at another sign for Green Peak Falls. Here a spur road led through a large campsite to a trail.

Green Peak Falls

Green Peak falls in December 2012.

It was interesting to see how differently the lower water levels affected the visuals of the two falls. For Alsea Falls less water allowed us to see more of the bedrock and gave the falls a little more definition and character. Green Peak on the other hand just had less water, it was still a nice waterfall but it wasn’t the thundering cascade that we’d experienced in 2012.

On the way back we crossed the river at McBee Park and explored one of the empty sites there.

Covered picnic table.

The table is one solid plank.

Instead of back tracking through the park to the trail and returning the way we’d come we decided to road walk back to the Alsea Falls Picnic Area.
Sign for McBee Park along South Fork Road.

Trail down to the picnic area along South Fork Road.

This wound up being a 3.3 mile hike which was just what we were looking for. It had been warm when we started at 6:15am and it was already noticeably warmer when we got back to the car at 8am. It was still early enough though that we did decide to stop on our way home and finally check out the E. E. Wilson Wildlife Area.

The area, located just north of Corvallis, is one of several Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife managed areas that requires a $10/day parking perming ($30 for an annual permit). Hiking options are limited here with just a 1.5 mile Interpretive Trail to a fishing pond and a 1.7 mile out-and-back to Coffin Butte. The $10 price tag for such sort hikes had kept us away but we had come into possession of an annual permit (They come with certain hunting and/or fishing licenses.) which eliminated that obstacle.

We parked at the Camp Adair Trailhead and promptly forgot to put the permit on the dashboard. Instead we got out, threw our packs on (we looked crazy for a 1.5 interpretive loop but we wanted the water that was in them), and started checking out the pheasants being raised in nearby cages.

Silver pheasant

After looking at the birds we walked through the Camp Adair Memorial Garden. Camp Adair was established approximately 6 months after Pearl Harbor and housed up to 40,000 personnel at a time comprising four infantry divisions.

Red-breasted sapsucker

Parking for the fishing pond is located on the opposite side of the memorial and at that parking lot we turned left on a road passing through a gate to a signboard.

We followed this road 0.2 miles to a “T” where we turned left.

Less than 100 yards later we came to a sign for the Fishing Pond on our right at another road junction.

We made it about a tenth of a mile up this road before I thought to ask Heather if she had put the permit on the dashboard since I’d completely forgotten about it. She had forgotten too so I left my pack with her at a bench and jogged back to the car, put the permit in the window, and (mostly) jogged back to her. We then continued on to the Fishing Pond.
Bunnies in the grass near one of the benches.

Coffin Butte on the other side of Highway 99.

Turkey vulture

Wetlands on the other side of the pond.

Great blue heron

After walking a little way up along the western side of the pond we backtracked and started around the southern end where we picked up the continuation of the Interpretive Loop.
The loop trail to the right.

Skipper

The loop passed through some wetlands before entering a series of fields and finally arriving back at the road.

Tadpole

We stayed left at any junction like this.

Dragon fly

Bindweed

Arriving back at the road.

We took a left on the road and retraced our steps to the memorial and then back to our car. Between our wandering and my return trip to the car to put the permit out I managed to turn this into a 2.8 mile outing but it should have been closer to 1.5. We still managed to be done just after 10am which was a good thing because it was already pushing 80 degrees. These two short hikes turned out to be a great option given the circumstances. Unfortunately as I write this several fires are burning in Northern California and the Oregon Cascades with more red flag warnings for lighting through Monday. Hopefully things won’t get too bad and we pray for the firefighters as they do their best to keep things in check. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Alsea Falls and E.E. Wilson Loop

Tags alsea falls, Camp Adair, E. E. Wilson Nature Trail, E.E. Wilson Wildlife Area, Fishing Pond, Green Peak Falls, hiking, McBee Park, Oregon

Coastal Range Hiking Oregon Throwback Thursday Trip report

Throwback Thursday – Alsea Falls

Post author By derwoodynck
Post date January 11, 2018
2 Comments on Throwback Thursday – Alsea Falls

Now that we are in the midst of our offseason it’s time to bring back our Throwback Thursday posts. This installment of Throwback Thursday features our final hike of 2012 and the last hike we took before starting this blog. On 12/19/2012 we headed for the Alsea Falls Recreation Area which is located in the Coast Range west of Monroe, OR. To reach the area from Highway 99w we turned west near Monroe at a sign for Alpine. Signs for the recreation area kept us headed in the right direction. We could have started our hike in a couple of places including the most popular trailhead at a day use picnic area practically next to Alsea Falls. We opted to instead to begin further up the South Fork Alsea River at a small trailhead along Miller Road.

Alsea Falls trailhead

The level trail followed the South Fork Alsea River for a mile to the Alsea Falls Campground. At the .7 mile mark a trail joined from the right which was to be our return route. Had it been earlier in the year there probably wouldn’t have been many views of the river along this stretch but with the leaves gone from the trees the river was often visible.

South Fork Alsea River

We didn’t take the footbridge across the river into the campground opting to stay on the east side of the river for another .6 miles to a second footbridge ignoring a side trail to the right (our return route) shortly before the bridge.

Bridge over the South Fork Alsea River

This bridge led to the day use picnic area. We crossed the bridge pausing to look downstream at the top of Alsea Falls.

South Fork Alsea River

A .3 mile path continued downstream on the south side of the river below the falls. The photos we’d seen of Alsea Falls had obviously been taken at other times of the year. The pictures we’d seen were of a terraced fall gently cascading over rocks, but what we found was a whitewater cascade.

Alsea Falls

After admiring just how much more water was flowing now than what we’d seen in the photos we recrossed the footbridge and turned left continuing downstream. The trail climbed a bit before dropping back down near river level and another split in the trail after .6 miles. A trail here descended to the river bank before petering out.

South Fork Alsea River

From here the trail soon joined an old road which we followed briefly toward McBee Park to another trail which led slightly uphill to the right.

Alsea Falls Trail

Trail to Green Peak Falls

This trail ran parallel to Peak Creek but stayed far enough away to keep it hidden most of the half mile to Green Peak Falls.

Trail to Green Peak Falls

Meadow on the way to Green Peak Falls

Peak Creek

Having not seen any pictures of Green Peak Falls we weren’t sure what to expect but were pleasantly surprised by this 60′ waterfall.

Green Peak Falls

Almost as mesmerizing as the waterfall was a tree on the far side of the creek that was covered in light green lichen.

Lichen draped tree

On the way back we had a couple of loop options. We could have taken a .6 mile section of trail from the picnic area to the campground, but we chose a slightly longer loop with a little extra elevation gain. Just beyond the footbridge to the picnic area we turned left at a trail sign and headed uphill into the forest.

Trail sign in the Alsea Falls Recreation Area

This path climbed for a half mile to a road where we turned right for another half mile before descending on another half mile trail to the junction we had passed that morning .7 miles from Miller Road. This mile and a half was view less but the trails were well maintained.

Forest in the Alsea Falls Recreation Area

The Alsea Falls Recreation Area is popular in the warmer months when the river is more inviting but we had basically had the area to ourselves and the strong flow over the falls made a Winter visit worthwhile as well. Happy Trails!

Flickr: Alsea Falls

Tags alsea falls, Alsea Falls Campground, Green Peak Falls, hiking, McBee Park, Oregon, Peak Creek, South Fork Alsea River