A walk among waterfalls

UMPQUA NATIONAL FOREST — A great way to cool off on a hot day is to hike to one of the many beautiful waterfalls in our vicinity.

Most of the trails are lined with trees, providing shade that immediately drops the temperature. Walking up close to the waterfalls brings even more relief from the heat, as the cool mist from the thundering waters drifts through the air and settles on one’s skin.

Some local waterfalls even have a pool that is accessible and deep enough for a plunge into the crystal clear water. Brave swimmers and waders will definitely emerge from the water feeling refreshed.

A drive east on the North Umpqua Highway offers hikers a variety of waterfall hikes from which to choose.

The easiest way to make a decision on which hike is best for those in your party is to consult the Thundering Waters brochure, produced by the Umpqua National Forest and the Roseburg District of the Bureau of Land Management.

The publication can be found online, or copies may be picked up at visitors centers, such as the Roseburg Visitors Center or Colliding Rivers Visitors Center in Glide.

The brochure is helpful because it lists the length of each trail and its difficulty. It also has directions to each trailhead and it describes the type of waterfall you’ll see, as well as other amenities at the site, such as restrooms and picnic tables.

When the thermometer at my home in Glide was heading toward 100 degrees last weekend, my fiancé and I decided to escape the heat near a waterfall in the forest.

We chose to head to the Toketee area, where we knew we could see several waterfalls within a few miles.

Easily the most spectacular is Watson Falls, which cascades over a steep lava rock wall and crashes into a pool 272 feet below. That makes it the highest waterfall in southwest Oregon.

One tip to remember about Watson Falls is that its four-tenths of a mile trail may sound short, but since it goes straight uphill, the trail feels a lot longer.

Still, a couple of hikers who were heading down the trail as we were climbing up expressed the sentiment of most: “It’s definitely worth it.”

For those who are unable to hike, the top of the falls is visible from the parking lot.

Another waterfall nearby requires no hiking. Whitehorse Falls sits right in the campground of the same name. The 15-foot-falls spills into a pool on the Clearwater River.

If you’ve never ventured out to a local waterfall, summer is a great time to do so. Be forewarned that a hike to Toketee Falls will have to be delayed, however. A landslide took out the trail this past winter and crews haven’t had the opportunity to repair it for visitors to the area.

Put that one on the list for next year.



• News-Review Editor Vicki Menard can be reached at 957-4203 or by e-mail to vmenard@nrtoday.com.

If you go ...

WHAT: Watson Falls

WHERE: About 60 miles east of Roseburg, just off the North Umpqua Highway (Highway 138) near Toketee

TRAIL: 0.4 mile uphill. Rated more difficult.

WHAT: Whitehorse Falls

WHERE: Whitehorse Falls Campground, about 66 miles east of Roseburg on Highway 138

TRAIL: Wooden viewing platform for the falls located right next to the parking area. No hiking necessary.

ONLINE: To view the Thundering Waters brochure, see the Forest Service Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r6/umpqua/publications/ or the interactive map on the Bureau of Land Management’s Web site at www.blm.gov/or/districts/roseburg/recreation/Thundering_Waters/.