Easy to moderate* ~1.4 mi out and back

127-254 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/9/24

*Descending to the lower area includes descending a steep rock wall w rope for help

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One of the most well known waterfalls in Oregon, Toketee Falls is found at the end of a relatively short hike. Two-tiered and surrounded by captivating basalt column structures. A lower section is reached via a treacherous descent down a rock wall with climbing rope attached at the top.

View of Toketee Falls from the upper viewing area. Beautiful blue water pools in the basin below.

View of Toketee Falls from downstream of the falls, a glimpse of the second tier may be seen in the distance. This view also shows the swirling folds of exposed basalt rock to the left of the falls.

Looking down at two friends climbing up the steep hillside to access the lower area, with piles of snow accumulated at the bottom.

Easy, 1.24 mi out and back

289 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/9/24

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A short hike taking you to the third tallest waterfall in Oregon, at 272 ft. Trail ends at the bottom of the falls, giving you a great view of the plunge into the surrounding bowl. When I hiked it in March of 2024, it was just after a nice snowfall, adding to its beauty. One of several great falls in area.

A view through the pines towards the falls. Patches of snow may be seen piled up on nearby rocks and trees.

A snow covered bridge walk over the smallish creek, surrounded by pines.

Another view of Watson Falls in freefall. The bowl underneath covered in snow, with a pathway of the creek seen clearing the snow from center to lower left.

Moderate, 10.78 mi Loop (shorter routes available)

1,207 ft elevation gain

Hiked 9/19/24

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Tranquil blue crystal waters of the upper McKenzie River contrast with the raging white waters from multiple spectacular waterfalls. Sahalie and Koosah falls roar around rich green mosses and at the bottom you’ll reach the enchanting Blue Pool beneath Tamolich falls (Tamolich falls are gone in low water) which is highly popular.

Sahalie Falls as it spills into a blue pool churned with whitewater below.

Three streams of water form the low water Koosah falls, which is one large flow in higher water. Amazing how much water there is even in September.

Looking down into the blue abyss that is Blue Pool. The logs seen at the bottom are just that, and not to be confused with sticks by the perspective in the 30 ft or so deep water.

Easy, 3.56 mi loop trail

207 ft elevation gain

Hiked 3/24/25

An easy walk from the inland campground with intermittent boardwalks over marshes and then along Bullard’s Beach. My visit, after the recent heavy rains, meant that stretches of the boardwalk included wading in the water. Shorebirds aplenty may be seen here, although I mostly saw a Curlew species.

Another section of the boardwalk going under water along the path. Good thing it was warm out that day!

A piece of driftwood sticks up from the ground, surrounded by beach filled with it.

Some Curlews foraging along the shoreline while waves roll in behind them.

Just absolutely insane what this guy was able to pull off.

The 37-year-old climbed 403,740 feet, covering 629 miles on foot and cycling 2,568 miles between the peaks. He spent 489 hours in motion in those 31 days, linking all the publicly accessible 14ers in the lower U.S. On each stage of his project, the once-in-a-generation mountaineering legend was joined by high-profile local athletes who pedaled, climbed and ran alongside him.

Numerous hikers have been caught in a rockfall north of Lake Louise with multiple people injured or killed, according to the RCMP.

At around 1:30 p.m., Lake Louise RCMP were notified that “multiple hikers” were caught in a rockfall on a trail in the Bow Lake/Bow Glacier Falls area.

RCMP Cpl. Gina Slaney said the latest information available is that the incident involves “serious injuries and/or multiple fatalities,” but she didn’t have exact details as there is no cell service in the area and getting information from the scene is difficult.

AllTrails has a new generative AI feature that can be asked to ‘shorten my route’ or ‘make this more scenic.’

But the people in charge of searching for lost hikers say the feature is going to exacerbate an issue they’ve been warning about for years: hiking apps providing false information."

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