Crater Lake, Oregon

The Trail begins at Mt. Thielsen Trailhead/Sno Park and takes you up through a vast forest of pines. As you ascend, Diamond Lake will slowly start to peak through. Continue straight at mile marker 1.6 and keep an eye out for Mt. Thielsen ahead. Just before entering Mount Thielsen Wilderness aroun...

This 500 ft. long gorge carved out of an old lava tube sits right along highway 62 near Crater Lake. The original road that brought travelers to the National Park passed right next to the gorge but it now remains hidden from view of the current highway. The area isn't large but has a nice parking...

This has to be one of the most overlooked waterfalls in Oregon. It doesn't get a lot of publicity, and it's tucked away in south-central Oregon. As such, many people don't pay it much attention. That's too bad. Clearwater Falls can be found just off Highway 138, near mile marker 69. Clearwater F...

Pearsony falls, located in the Oregon State Park known as Prospect State Scenic Viewpoint, is about 15 feet tall and cascades picturesquely in two sections underneath a green canopy and between mossy rocks. The falls flow year round, though water levels vary with the season. A trip to Pearsony Fa...

In June of 2015, I visited as many remote waterfall locations in Oregon as I could find. Whitehorse Falls, located along the Clearwater River in Douglas County, was one of those on my list. It's a small waterfall that is just off highway 138 (about 4.5 miles east of Toketee Falls) in Central Oreg...

Mill Creek Falls is a lesser-known gem in Southern Oregon. At 173 ft it is one of the tallest in the area, and Barr Creek Falls, plunging 240 ft, is less than a quarter mile further down the trail. The viewpoints can be accessed year-round though flows often fluctuate and spring/winter may best f...

Watson Falls hurtles over a cathedral amphitheater wall of basalt, crashing into a long talus slope covered in moss and vine maple. At 272 feet, Watson Falls is the 3rd tallest waterfall in Oregon. We actually stumbled upon Watson Falls driving back from Toketee Falls. The parking area is about ...

Starting at at elevation of 5250 feet, the trail climbs steadily from the trailhead for approximately 3.3 miles to pass at 6900 feet. From here you will come to a junction where going right will lead to Devils Peak and the PCT and going left (straight) will take down into the basin. If you starte...

Toketee Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls in all of Oregon, renowned for the graceful columnar basalt formation framing the two-stepped falls. The North Umpqua River has carved a sinuous gorge out of the lava flow, resulting in a waterfall of 113 feet in height - a 28 foot upper tier whi...

When you arrive at the hot springs you'll see a bathroom and large dumpster in a small gravel parking lot. From the parking lot you'll see a bridge which leads to the trail up to the springs. Its a 0.25 mile walk up to seven different pools, sitting 150ft. above the North Umpqua River. All the ho...

If you are early enough, you can park at the designated day use parking area, which is where the bathroom is. There are picnic benches there along with a path to the top of the falls. If you want to be where the real action is, take the dirt trail down to the bottom of the falls which is less tha...

This is not an easy hike, but every step is more than worth it. Unlike Mount Thielsen to the north, this summit requires no scrambling/climbing; it's just a long, steep hike. Mount McLoughlin (named for John McLoughlin of Hudson's Bay Company and Oregon Trail fame) is a lava cone on top of a comp...

At 8,743 feet, Diamond Peak is almost as tall as the other iconic volcanoes of the Oregon Cascades, but sees just a fraction of the people. Outside the range of casual Portland day hikes and hard to see from the highway and from other peaks, Diamond Peak and the spectacular wilderness surrounding...

This spot in central Oregon is a beautiful, natural lake where you can combine a nice hike with an afternoon of fishing. There are opportunities for multiple hikes surrounding the lake that are moderately challenging hikes and also remain scenic throughout the 10 mile trek around the lake. Relax...

Diamond View Lake is relatively unknown compared to many of the other lakes in the Oregon Cascades, yet the views it delivers of Diamond Peak are top-notch. While it can also be done as a summer backpack, winter brings out the best aspects of the scenery - low-angle light on Diamond Peak, long n...

This hike starts at the main parking lot about a mile away from the falls. The falls are accessed via a very easy, well graded trail developed and maintained by the Oregon BLM.The hike through the forest and pine trees make it for a fantastic and fairy tale-like hike. When you arrive at Susan Cre...