[Water]Falling for Central Oregon
We visit Central Oregon annually, and this year we elected to focus on fun for the three days we were there. I thought I’d devote the next few blog posts to some of the best places to hike in the Bend area, starting with a natural feature the Pacific Northwest is famous for: waterfalls.
Granted the waterfalls are spectacular along the Columbia Gorge on one side of the Cascade Range, but the Deschutes River is an impressive rival and can be experienced with less auto and foot traffic (if timed well). With all of these, bring water … and in the summer, bring plenty of it.
Tumalo Falls (outside Bend)
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| North Fork Trail at Tumalo Falls |
Day pass: $5/vehicle
Restrooms: Portable toilets in picnic area near trailhead
Let’s start with the big one: Tumalo Falls. It's the photo that opens this post, and it's photographed more than any other I’ve seen. That's because of both its beauty and because it is accessible for people who don’t typically hike (or even walk). This makes it crowded, so don’t be surprised if the first trek is from the car to the actual trailhead. But the payoff is immediate as the waterfall called Tumalo Falls is right there. There’s a great viewing platform at the entrance for those who can’t make the short climb to the spillover, or lip, of the 90-foot falls. A lot of people turn around there, but if you continue on the main path adjacent to the river, you’ll head into a forest and eventually come to Double Falls. We’ve never ventured further (due to my hiking companions’ low-energy thresholds), but if you continue there’s a third waterfall that’s partially hidden by trees.
There are a few more official trails, but since I’ve only done the North Fork, I can’t comment on the others – yet.
Benham Falls (between Bend and Sunriver)
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| Benham Falls Trail |
Day pass: $5/vehicle
Restrooms: Portable toilets at trailhead, restrooms 1.5 miles down (though they may not always be open)
These falls are really rapids, but this is my favorite hiking trail in Central Oregon. It’s accessed from a forest road within the Newberry Volcanic National Monument and it’s a great compliment to two other bigger attractions: Lava Lands/Lava Butte and Lava Cave. We’ll talk more about those in the next post.
When I think of the Pacific Northwest, Benham Falls is what comes to mind. The trail starts out at a serene lake with a natural dam, then you cross over a bridge and begin a very gentle incline with Ponderosa pines to provide some shade if the sun is in a certain place. There are several places on the flatter parts to pull over for a soothing soak; as the trail climbs, there are short side trails and the occasional bench if you need a breather (if you are in shape, you won’t).
It's quiet until it’s not; that is, the rapids start. At first they are mild as water rushes over ancient volcanic rocks and then it builds as you near the apex and come to a clearing and look down as water rushes through a gorge, makes a sharp turn and settles back into mild rapids on its way to Dillon Falls. By now you are 1.5 miles in and will come to a parking lot and restrooms before the trail descends and follows the river. We never allotted enough time to get to the second falls, so I can’t comment on the hike from here. But do know the views up to this point are amazing. And, with a choice of asphalt or dirt, this one’s accessible for most everyone.
Cline Falls (Redmond)
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| Cline Falls |
Day pass: No, it's all free
Restrooms: Yes, near parking lot
Here’s the mistake a lot of people make: They see a brown sign saying parking ahead and Cline Falls to the right and believe they’ve arrived at the actual waterfalls. They completely miss the tiny words below that say: 1/2 mile downstream. Now you won’t fall for the same mistake.
There’s a large parking lot at the end of the road, where you can grab a picnic table or just pull out portable chairs and floaties and meander down the Deschutes River at a leisurely pace. In my college years, we referred to this as tubing, but that term didn’t resonate with the locals. If it’s hot, it’s going to be crowded. We decided to walk from there to the falls – only one of us wearing proper shoes. That’s how easy this one is if you are prepared. Walk along the asphalt sidewalk and then road to that brown sign I mentioned, where you’ll descend down a dirt path with rocks to help keep you from sliding on your bum (if, like me, your sandals don’t provide any traction).
Follow the river and go under a bridge, where it will quiet the farther you are from traffic overhead. Suddenly you’ll hear rushing water and – viola! – come to the waterfalls. There’s another path to go down for a closer view, but it was dicey with our footwear. Still, I saw small children using it, so it must be safe. The entire trip, with a 10-minute stop to take in the falls, took us under 45 minutes. And we were handicapped by everyone forgetting to bring water (because we misread that sign and thought the falls were closer, so we wouldn’t need it).
One More Thing
There’s a fourth waterfall I have wanted to do for years, but every time something interrupts those plans. Steelhead Falls is in the sprawling section of Terrebonne called Crooked River Ranch. There’s a road sign off one of the busier roads to tell you where to turn, but I’ve yet to take it. The hike is listed as moderate (compared to easy for the three already mentioned). I think that’s because of the elevation and some rock scrambling, but I’m honestly not sure. The payoff is a wide and not particularly steep waterfall that perpetually fills a basin where you can swim or just cool off. Lots of [young] people jump off the cliffs into the water, so it must be deep.
Next year I will post about this one because I’m doing it with or without my out-of-shape sisters. No longer will they – or 100-degree temps – hold me back.
